Every October, fans and participants alike pose the question – why are there not more day meetings at Happy Valley?

Sunday’s annual weekend fixture at the city circuit went off a treat – turnover and crowd numbers were up considerably, the vibe was sensational and it provided a fantastic change from the regular Sha Tin cards.

Traditionally laid-back affairs where all involved are more relaxed than at a usual weekend meeting, Sunday’s fixture was the first in recent times to follow in the footsteps of a midweek card and feature a live band.

Known to be partial to a bit of a jig, Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges still had a spring in his step as he left the city circuit on Sunday evening and he suggested we could see more Valley day meetings moving forward.

It seems to make perfect sense.

From a purely racing perspective, there’s really no reason it couldn’t happen.

Engelbrecht-Bresges pointed to midweek turf meetings at Sha Tin to offset an increase in Valley weekends, which would mean the spread of fixtures across the two tracks could stay the same and the wear and tear basically wouldn’t change.

Turnover is also unlikely to be an issue – more was bet on Sunday’s Valley meeting than the previous weekend’s Sha Tin fixture.

There is a risk of smaller field sizes by racing at Happy Valley in consecutive meetings – Hong Kong has a certain number of horses more likely to do their racing at the city circuit – however only two of the 18 Valley races across last Sunday and this Wednesday didn’t receive a full quota of entries.

This shows that if the timing is right, the concept works.

The annual October fixture exists to allow time for the transition from summer grass to winter grass at both Happy Valley and Sha Tin, but it’s much more than that.

It offers a welcome break from routine in what can become a long and monotonous Hong Kong season, something which would only be amplified by a weekend Valley meeting deeper into the campaign.

A significant number of Jockey Club employees live in Happy Valley, while trainers and jockeys are afforded the opportunity to head out for dinner in the city without having to travel in from Sha Tin.

With most jockeys and trainers living at Sha Tin, more midweek meetings at the New Territories venue would also take the edge off the gruelling Wednesday night races-Thursday morning trackwork double.

More significant from a government perspective is what role Valley day meetings can play as officials up efforts to promote “horse racing tourism” and the sport as one of the city’s major tourist attractions.

While there’s no question the atmosphere on a big Sha Tin race day is something special, when it comes to a truly unique Hong Kong experience, a trip to Happy Valley has Sha Tin covered by the length of Wong Nai Chung Road.

Engelbrecht-Bresges confirmed a number of tourists from the mainland and Taiwan were on track on Sunday and naturally a weekend city meeting would have a greater chance of attracting visitors than a midweek one.

Of course, you do not want to risk cannibalising the hugely successful Happy Wednesday brand, but we’re only talking an extra two or three weekend fixtures per season.

If the government wants to use sizeable sporting events to drive the economy, world-class horse racing on Hong Kong Island would seem to fit that bill better than roughly 99 per cent of the city’s offerings.

Rather than the mass dispersal you see at Sha Tin, there was a noticeable flow of racegoers into nearby restaurants and bars on Sunday – something which must surely be a positive in a city where the food and beverage industry isn’t exactly flying.

In the past there have been concerns around increased traffic in the area and the fact the sporting fields inside the track must be closed, but these seem entirely manageable speed bumps.

These meetings don’t have to be restricted to Sunday afternoons, either.

Imagine the party atmosphere after a Saturday afternoon meeting.

For so long, the Hong Kong racing schedule has been a cookie-cutter product with next to no change or innovation.

The recent introduction of twilight racing in the season’s hottest months is an exception and the Jockey Club has made a move to more Saturday evening fixtures during that period.

Why not take it one step further and have a fully fledged Saturday night meeting at Happy Valley in June or July? Or even a Friday night?

As good as Sunday afternoon was, all options should be on the table.

Like Dennis Denuto said in iconic Australian film The Castle, “it’s just the vibe of the thing”.

Engelbrecht-Bresges seemed to like Sunday’s vibe. Let’s hope that translates to more creative fixturing sooner rather than later.