Frankie Lor Fu-chuen had to work the telephones after Silvestre de Sousa’s sudden disqualification left the champion trainer scrambling for a jockey to steer Sword Point in the Classic Cup (1,800m) runner-up’s first Happy Valley assignment.

Lor had pencilled in De Sousa to partner Sword Point on his Happy Valley debut following the Brazilian rider’s neck second aboard the Australian import in the Group Three Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2,400m) that Straight Arron won at Sha Tin on May 7.

However, five days later, news broke of De Sousa’s betting offence, which forced Lor to reach for his eraser and mobile device because many jockeys and trainers organise rides several weeks in advance.

“It was really difficult,” Lor said of booking a jockey to team up with Sword Point in Wednesday night’s Class Two Briar Handicap (1,800m).

“Firstly, I asked Hugh Bowman, but he’d got a ride. Zac [Purton] already had a ride. I was working my way down from the top of the jockey standings, but everyone had already taken a ride in the race.

“I tried Karis [Teetan]. He said, ‘I have a ride, but my horse isn’t really competitive, so let me talk to his trainer and see if I can change to yours’.”

Teetan got out of his prior Briar Handicap commitment, so the Mauritian jockey will become the sixth jockey to ride Sword Point in Hong Kong when he makes his ninth start in the city.

Nine furlongs appears to be Sword Point’s ideal trip – his four runs over the distance have resulted in one win and two seconds in Hong Kong, plus a Group Two third on his last pre-import outing in Australia for Chris Waller – and Lor is confident the four-year-old galloper’s overseas experience will enable him to transfer his good Sha Tin form to Happy Valley.

“Australian horses go to different places to race, so I think he should be OK at Happy Valley,” Lor said, referencing Sword Point competing at five New South Wales venues, among them the tight-turning tracks of Canterbury and Kensington, for Waller’s mega stable.

Sword Point is one of Lor’s five midweek entries as the title holder tries – perhaps in vain – to stay in touch with his mentor, 11-time winner John Size, at the pointy end of this term’s trainers’ championship.

Lor, who says the title race is not something the close friends speak about regularly, believes Size is on course to move one championship clear of another legendary Australian handler, George Moore.

Four-timer helps Purton set one record and puts him back on track for another

“[My old] boss won two races on Sunday, so he’s 10 in front of me now. He’s likely to break the record this year and become a 12-time champion. It’s really difficult for me to catch him. He’s too strong,” said Lor, whose epithet for Size shows the high esteem in which the former jockey holds his greatest racing inspiration.

“But I’ll still try, and I’ll not give up until the end of the season. Boss, don’t go too fast.”