David Ferraris is itching to make his return to Happy Valley on Wednesday night and consign the “heartbreaking” declaration debacle that saw his runners withdrawn from last week’s meeting at the city circuit firmly to history.

The trainer and the Jockey Club have accepted their share of blame for the incident – officials admitting “a significant flaw in standard operating procedures” compounded a stable error – and Ferraris has seven runners at the midweek fixture to ease his pain.

“It’s over now and we’ll look to the future but it’s just sad because I can ill afford to have horses miss races for reasons like that,” Ferraris said.

“It’s hard enough to get them into the races because the fields are so full at Happy Valley and then to have them all withdrawn was heartbreaking.”

The David Ferraris declaration debacle should never have happened

Of the five horses that Ferraris had withdrawn, Blastoise finished 12th at Sha Tin on Sunday, Methane and Dazzling Feeling are running Wednesday night, Winning Feeling is a reserve and Nitro Express is not entered.

“I really, really fancied him but there’s no race for him until March,” Ferraris said of Nitro Express, who was entered to run over 1,650m in Class Five last week.

“It’s unfortunate that Winning Feeling is on the reserve list because he’s also going well, but it’s nice to have Dazzling Feeling back. He hasn’t raced for a long time but he’s looking good and he’ll run a big race.”

Dazzling Feeling lines up in the first section of the Class Four Mut Wah Handicap (1,200m) after having his length lay-off – he hasn’t raced since July last year – extended by a week.

“They had to take off a splint that was worrying him, it was pressing against a nerve on his cannon bone and he’s been 100 per cent since that. I’ve got him going pretty well and he should be competitive,” Ferraris said.

Methane steps out over the extended Valley mile in the Class Four Tsun Yip Handicap rather than the 1,800m he was set to tackle last week but Ferraris is comfortable with how the five-year-old is positioned.

His last victory came at the course and distance a touch over a year ago and the South African is confident having Blake Shinn in the saddle for the first time is a positive.

“He’s in great form and I think Blake will suit him because he’s a horse that needs to be given just a little bit of a chance,” Ferraris said. “The 1,800m is probably his better distance but he can win at 1,650m quite comfortably.”

Also among Ferraris’ runners is Xiang Bai Qi, who steps up to 2,200m for the first time in Hong Kong after finishing fourth in the Group Two Italian Derby at the trip in 2017.

David Ferraris fuming after horses are withdrawn from Happy Valley: ‘it’s absolutely disgraceful’

“Xiang Bai Qi will definitely get the trip if he’s ridden a little bit patiently,” Ferraris said of the seven-year-old, who will be partnered by Vagner Borges.

The South African believes Surrealism can make significant improvement in the Class Three Hoi Yuen Handicap (1,650m) after a front-running 10th last start, with Shinn taking the reins from Antoine Hamelin.

“Surrealism has drawn a bad gate but he has to be ridden quietly,” Ferraris said. “He was ridden upside down last time and Blake is pretty confident he will run well.”