Star French raider Jim And Tonic is well and truly on course for a remarkable International hat-trick at Sha Tin next month. The Francois Doumen-trained six-year-old is reported as bang on target for the December 17 Hong Kong Cup after a winning return in the 1,600-metre Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud over the weekend.
Despite racing in windswept conditions, and starting for the first time since his luckless second to Industrialist in April's Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Jim And Tonic came with his customary late dash to beat Memory Maker by half a length. English raider Sugarfoot, who would be an outsider if selected for the Hong Kong Mile, was a further three lengths back in sixth.
Jim And Tonic had been off the track with niggling joint problems since his second to Industrialist when he was given too much ground to make up off a sedate tempo. Doumen was delighted with the way Jim And Tonic has come out of the race. Speaking from France, he said yesterday: 'His joints are now good. I'm very pleased with him. He won very easily in desperately heavy going. He'll be far better on the faster ground at Sha Tin. He was also a bit fat on Saturday and will improve considerably for the run.'
Come December 17, Jim And Tonic will be bidding for a remarkable fourth Sha Tin success. He won last season's Cup and, prior to that, the Bowl. Sandwiched in between he also took a QE II Cup. Gerald Mosse was earlier reported to have split with Doumen, not least due to Jim And Tonic's defeat here last April.
But he was back in the saddle on the weekend and will again ride him here in December.
Meanwhile, talented Newmarket trainer Alec Stewart is to decide in the next few days whether or not to run his close Breeders' Cup Turf fourth Mutamam in the Hong Kong Vase or wait for the Dubai World Cup.
