Hot Jim And Tonic impresses

As local heroes Oriental Express and Indigenous prepare for overseas ventures, Hong Kong's racing image has also received a boost with a highly impressive performance from Jim And Tonic.

Winner of the International Bowl and last month's Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin, where he beat Indigenous, the Francois Doumen-trained gelding finished second to Fly To The Stars in the Group One Lockinge Stakes over one mile at Newbury in western England.

Raging favourite Intikhab, top-rated horse in Europe last season, finished fourth to his stablemate after coming to challenge just two furlongs out. Third in the race was Almushtarak, who was also third in the International Cup last December.

It had been 333 days since Intikhab had actually raced and, despite his exalted rating, he had not actually won a Group One contest. But there was no denying that Jim And Tonic did Doumen proud at Newbury where the softish ground was also against him.

Jim And Tonic is rated 121, which is a boost for Hong Kong racing as the mark was earned primarily through his Sha Tin efforts.

Doumen, who will return to Hong Kong with Jim And Tonic for the Hong Kong Mile or the Hong Kong Cup in December, was delighted with the Newbury run.

'I thought we might actually win it for a stride or two, but the one in front obviously did like the going and he just kept on. It gives me great encouragement that he will win a Group One race this season before we return to Hong Kong at the end of the year,' said Doumen, who has the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deuville firmly in his sights for Jim And Tonic.