Frankie Lor Fu-chuen has Hong Kong Derby aspirations for both Celestial Power and Flagship Glory but says he is not prepared to push them beyond their limits to get them there.

The gallopers compete in separate races at Sha Tin on Sunday in what is their last opportunity to boost their ratings to reach the HK$24 million feature in two weeks, but Lor is just focusing on what he can control.

Flagship Glory has been somewhat of a hard-luck story in his two Hong Kong starts to date but Lor believes he has his chance in the Class Three Hyacinth Handicap (1,600m), where champion jockey Zac Purton replaces the suspended Joao Moreira.

“The jockey came back last time and said if he jumped like the other horses, he would have won the race,” Lor said of Flagship Glory’s last-start effort, which saw him run second to Tempest Express.

With the galloper only arriving in Lor’s stable as a northern hemisphere import in October, the trainer has been in a race against time to get Flagship Glory to bigger and better things this season.

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But after winning the Classic Cup last month with Healthy Happy and sweeping the four-year-old series in 2019, Lor knows what it takes to be competitive.

“We are just taking it slowly to see what he has,” he said. “I think he has a really good chance of getting to the Derby because his rating is 77, so if he can get there I would love to race him there.

“His sire is Australia so he should have no problems with the distance, we are just wishing that maybe if he got here a little bit earlier, he would be in a better position now.

“I didn’t want to rush him when he first got here and I still don’t, but it looks as if he is enjoying it here and doing well.”

Formerly trained by Roger Varian in England as Establish, Flagship Glory is typical of most of Lor’s overseas imports this season who have arrived at the bottom end of the ratings.

While Celestial Power is an Australian import, he has a similar profile to Flagship Glory after arriving in Hong Kong on a rating of 72.

The son of Star Witness booked a spot in the Classic Mile after two consecutive wins at Happy Valley but his race was over before it began after missing the start by five lengths.

Lor is also willing to forgive his last-start effort at Happy Valley after being trapped wide.

“He was very unlucky in the Classic Mile and then last time over the 1,650m at Happy Valley he drew barrier seven and was three-deep with no cover the whole way somehow,” he said.

Ridden by Jack Wong Ho-nam, Celestial Power will attempt to book his Derby ticket in the Class Two Daisy Handicap (1,800m) where he will carry just 112 pounds.

“With this horse, the distance is no problem at all,” Lor said.

Currently fourth in the trainers’ championship, Lor will also saddle up Dragon Fortune, Oscar Glory, Tornado Twist, Golfman Star and Right Choice.