Pogo to be given chance to bounce back in Group Three Criterion Stakes at Newmarket for Charlie Hills

Charlie Hills is to give stable stalwart Pogo a swift return to action at Newmarket on Saturday (July 1), writes The Jockey Club’s Graham Clark.

Pogo will look to become the third two-time winner of the Cavani Menswear Fashion Face-off Frenzy Criterion Stakes.

After finishing 10th in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes over a mile at Royal Ascot last week the globetrotting seven-year-old is on course for both a drop down in trip, and class, for a tilt at the seven-furlong Group Three which he claimed 12 months ago.

Pogo is yet to re-discover the winning touch in three starts this year, having also finished down the field in both the 1351 Turf Sprint at Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in Dubai ahead of his defeat at the Royal meeting.

However, the Lambourn handler believes the son of Zebedee, who will bid to emulate 2011 and 2012 winner Libranno and 2019 and 2020 victor Limato, is still capable of making his mark now eased in grade over what he feels is his optimum trip.

Hills said: “I’d say we will probably go for the Criterion as that has always been the plan.

“He hasn’t run too bad despite his form figures.

“I was pleased with how he ran in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot on Tuesday and he has come out of that in good form.

“He picked up through horses but the mile just stretches him and he just didn’t stay that final furlong.

“He looks to be a seven-furlong specialist.

“He is a lovely horse and he has proven a good few times he is up to Group Three and Group Two class, but he just struggles at Group One level.”

Last time out saw Pogo revert to hold up tactics in a bid to see out a mile as opposed to adopting his usual front-running role, but Hills expects him to revert back to type at the weekend.

He added: “We swapped tactics and held him up last time out as I was a bit conscious that we couldn’t really use his front-running tactics at Ascot and we wanted to do something different.

“His win in the Criterion last year was one of his performances of the season.

“He really does enjoy racing on both tracks at Newmarket and he seems to save his best for there but they are tracks that can suit front runners.”

With Pogo very much in the twilight of his career one thing that will come up for discussion sooner rather than later between Hills and owners Gary and Linnet Woodward is the topic of retirement.

But the Group One winning handler insists that subject matter is at the back of his mind for the moment.

He added: “The likes of Pogo, Garrus, Equilateral and Khaadem everyone has got very close to.

“It is nice to have these older horses still enjoying what they do and being equally enthusiastic as well.

“Of course, when one of them wins it does mean that bit more as a horse like Pogo has been around here for six seasons now.

“You learn so much more about them and their character and all their different ways.

“I don’t know if this will be his last season. We will just take it race by race.

“If he is still showing the enthusiasm, we might well carry on but we will speak to the owners.

“One thing is for sure is that he will have a good retirement home when the time comes.”