John Size couldn’t deliver in the BMW Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin on Sunday but smart youngsters Courier Wonder and Fantastic Way turned heads with electrifying victories on the undercard.

After suggesting three-year-olds that win like Courier Wonder did on debut in October “normally go all the way”, Size was again left impressed when the gelding steamed home in the Class Three Designs On Rome Handicap (1,200m).

“He looks like he’s going somewhere so we’ll look after him and let him do the job,” Size said of Courier Wonder, who had four trials during the five months between his first and second runs.

Sent out as short as anything this season at $1.15, Courier Wonder went straight to the front under Joao Moreira before saluting by three and a half lengths untouched.

The son of Sacred Falls was hit with a 14-point hike in the ratings for his debut win and is likely to find himself right at the top of Class Three after the weekend’s victory.

“He’ll run again this season provided he pulls up all right and everything is in order with him. I don’t think there are any problems with him,” Size said.

Fantastic Way had to work to find the lead in the Class Three Luger Handicap (1,200m) but once Moreira found the rail it was a relatively easy watch for the punters that sent the three-year-old out as the drifting $1.90 favourite.

“He had to do a bit of work today, it was a good test for him,” Size said of Fantastic Way, who is now three from three.

“He didn’t have an easy time of it and he didn’t shirk the task at all. He was still strong on the line. I’ll have a look at him now, he’s been in work for a while so he might be due for a break.”

Numerically, the two Class Three 1,200m performances were very similar, with Courier Wonder stopping the clock in 1:08.92 with 121 pounds on his back and Fantastic Way home in 1:08.98 with a 124-pound impost.

Excellent Proposal was the first finisher of Size’s three Derby participants, running on for a solid fourth, while Silver Express faded into ninth after going forward and Lucky Express battled away in 10th.

John Size delighted as Courier Wonder delivers on debut: ‘I think we’ve found one’

“Excellent Proposal looked pretty brave up the straight. You couldn’t be worried about his future. He looked like he was determined to finish the race off, he just kept coming,” Size said.

“Silver Express was a bit rushed and Lucky Express has had a long preparation. It looks like neither of them ran the trip and I’ll probably give them a break and start again with them.”