"He had a freshen-up since his win at Taranaki and the little bit of fast work he has had has been on the course proper and the sectionals have been very satisfying," he said.
"I have no issues with him coming back to 1200m.
"We are going to ride our own race and not worry about Melody Belle and Te Akau Shark or any of the other top horses. He steps up to weight-for-age but we are very comfortable with where we are at and I am looking forward to it."
Helena Baby has won his past five races and has stepped through the grades to be rated 88, 10 points inferior to his ultra-talented but injury-plagued stablemate Julius when he contested the race last year.
"They are different types of horses but they have the same strength, determination and class," Bell said.
"This horse has carried lower weights and come through the grades."
Owned in Hong Kong, there is a chance that New Zealand racing fans will only see Helena Baby on two more occasions, with the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on August 31 also on the radar. "At this stage, there is a possibility of him going into quarantine on September 3 to head up to Hong Kong," Bell said.
Helena Baby will once again be ridden by South African Donavan Mansour, who has created a good impression in his second stint in New Zealand after relocating with his wife and two sons last season.
"He is dedicated and is a great family man, which is important to me," Bell said. "I supported him heavily earlier on and now he is doing so well it is sometimes hard to get hold of him, which is a great thing.
- NZ Racing Desk
