Trainer Francois Doumen has disclosed that a slight injury was responsible for Jim and Tonic (Fr) finishing fifth in the Hong Kong Cup (HK-G1) at Sha Tin racecourse on December 16. The seven-year-old globetrotting gelding will now be aimed for the Dubai Duty Free Stakes (UAE-G1) at Nad al Sheba on March 23.

A son of the Be My Guest stallion Double Bed (Fr), Jim and Tonic won this year's Duty Free in a dramatic finish over Hong Kong Horse of the Year Fairy King Prawn and Australian and New Zealand Horse of the Year Sunline.

Doumen blamed a slight leg problem for Jim and Tonic's close fifth place finish in the Hong Kong Cup, a race he won in 1999. He was beaten 1 ¾ lengths by the winner, Agnes Digital.

"He has had a niggling problem with one fetlock and he was very sensible," Doumen told England's Press Association. "He looked after himself on the ground. It was probably the best thing for him to do. But he obviously wasn't 100% and he still won another ($76,920). You can't help but love a horse like that."

Jim and Tonic has won 13 of 36 career starts and has earned $4,959,719 while racing in six countries on four continents. His accomplishments include being named highweight on the 1999 and '00 French Free Handicaps.