Helios Express is bound for the Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) in December, but John Size has elected against upping the ante with progressive sprinter Wunderbar.

The 12-time champion Hong Kong trainer revealed his plans to keep Helios Express to sprints for at least his next two starts after his sizzling return when second to Ka Ying Rising in the Group Two Premier Bowl (1,200m).

On his first start since finishing down the track in the Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) in March, the Toronado gelding steamed home from last in a scorching 21.74 seconds for the final 200m.

Despite recording impressive wins in the Classic Mile and Classic Cup (1,800m) last term, Helios Express will be campaigned as a sprinter in the Group Two Jockey Club Sprint (1,200m) and Hong Kong Sprint in the next two months.

“Helios Express and Howdeepisyourlove will run in the sprint race on November 17,” Size said.

“I think the 1,200m, [Helios Express] can run over that for a while until after the international races and we might change then.

“He was good [first up], he looked good and he’s come back well. He’s always been able to run sectionals, that’s what he does. In the four-year-old series, we just had to go that way because he was the right age and he got away with two of them. But I don’t think that’s his strong suit.”

Helios Express and Howdeepisyourlove, who ran seventh in the Premier Bowl, will face rematches with emerging superstar Ka Ying Rising in the Jockey Club Sprint and Hong Kong Sprint.

Size opted not to target the same two features with Wunderbar, despite the four-year-old continuing his winning spree on his two starts back this season.

“He’ll probably run in the 1,000m race on November 9,” Size said of Wunderbar’s target, a Class Two down the Sha Tin straight where he will clash with Magic Control.

“There’s not many options for him, but I think we’ll work our way through it.”

A brilliant winner at six of seven starts and the only horse to have beaten Ka Ying Rising, Wunderbar ran second to Nervous Witness in a dirt trial at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning.

“He seems all right. He’s just going through the process OK,” Size said after Wunderbar finished solidly under a hold by Zac Purton in the trial.

Another pair of Size’s Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) prospects, Beauty Eternal and Red Lion, finished one-two in an earlier trial on Tuesday.

“It was their normal workout, they looked OK to me. They’re both heading for the [Jockey Club Mile] on November 17 and I think they’re in pretty good shape,” Size said.

Beauty Eternal, the winner of the Group One Champions Mile in April, and Red Lion will progress to the Group One Hong Kong Mile on international day after the Jockey Club Mile.

They ran sixth and eighth respectively behind Galaxy Patch, the early nominal favourite for the Hong Kong Mile, in the Group Two Sha Tin Trophy (1,600m) first up.

In other HKIR news, Aidan O’Brien and breeding giant Coolmore will consider setting Jan Brueghel for the Group One Hong Kong Vase (2,400m) after his shock scratching from the Group One Melbourne Cup (3,200m).

The early favourite for next week’s Flemington feature failed Racing Victoria’s stringent veterinary protocols and was withdrawn on Tuesday. Coolmore’s Tom Magnier said the unbeaten galloper will be aimed at the Vase or return to Ireland.

While trainer Chris Waller and connections of Via Sistina have yet to confirm her next target, there was speculation on Tuesday that the record-breaking Group One Cox Plate (2,040m) winner was doubtful to progress to the Melbourne Cup, which puts a trip to Hong Kong firmly on her radar.