Jockey Club director of racing Bill Nader confirmed the go-ahead and said the racecard would involve the same distances and classes of race as the cancelled meeting, and that declared runners for last Wednesday's meeting would be given preference.

And it appears that jockey numbers will hold up - just.

With no obvious replacement opportunity and many riders having paid for flights and holidays immediately after the scheduled end of the season next Tuesday, the club needed a date quickly to cause the least disruption to all concerned and the agreement of its participants.

Stipendiary steward and licensing committee secretary Kim Kelly said the vast majority of personnel had responded positively to the call by chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges to alter their plans for the sake of the make-up date.

"All riders were told the club would foot the bill for any cost incurred in altering their holiday plans. All riders have now responded and it looks like most of them will be here," Kelly said. "In addition, we have lowered the restriction on outside rides for the one stable-retained jockey, Darren Beadman, which we hope will fill the void for some of the leading jockeys who will not be here. We will be covered, but it's probably just as well we have a Happy Valley meeting with maximum fields of 12 rather than a Sha Tin fixture [maximum 14] to fill."

The jockeys who will be missing next Thursday are Felix Coetzee, Olivier Doleuze, Eric Saint-Martin and Glen Boss. Boss found his flying plans impossible to reorganise, while Brazilian Manoel Nunes has indicated he will only stay for the meeting if he is in demand for rides.