By Tom Frary
Confirming his love for Newmarket, Gary and Linnet Woodward's Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}) made all under a perfectly judged ride from William Buick to register a third pattern-race success in Friday's G2 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge S.
Always happy against the far rail shading it from the eventual third Misty Grey (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), the May 28 G3 John of Gaunt S. and June 25 G3 Criterion S. winner drew away from that rival and beyond the reach of Sacred (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) to score by 1 1/4 lengths.
In seven starts here, Pogo who was second last time to Kinross (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the G2 City of York S. and traded as the 7-4 second favourite, has won four and been second on the other three.
“He is such a star of a horse,” trainer Charlie Hills said. “He loves this track and he is just an amazing horse. He has been to most battles this year. He has very rarely come up short and just loves racing and loves the game. He travels and he wants it and he is aggressive. If every horse was like him it would be very easy. He is in the QEII at Ascot, but hopefully will go to America now for the Breeders' Cup.”
Pogo, who also boasts the Listed King Richard III S. and Listed Midsummer S. on his resume and has been placed in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan and five other contests at this level, is by far the leading performer out of Cute (GB) (Diktat {GB}), whose 2-year-old gelding Bossy Parker (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) won a premier nursery at Cork last month. Also responsible for a colt foal by Lope De Vega (Ire), she is kin to the triple group 2-winning sire Arabian Gleam (GB) (Kyllachy) and his dual listed-winning and group 3-placed full-brother Kimberella (GB).
Also among Cute's half-siblings is Pikaboo (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), the dam of four group winners headed by the five-times Group 1-winning 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the G2 Lowther S. and G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. winner Lucky Kristale (GB) (Lucky Story). This is also the family of the G2 Fuji S. scorer and twice G1 Dubai Turf-placed Vin De Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and the 2000 Guineas and Irish 2000 Guineas-winning sire Don't Forget Me (Ire).
Friday, Newmarket, Britain
THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY EMPLOYEE AWARDS CHALLENGE S.-G2, £120,000, Newmarket, 10-7, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:23.83, gd.
1–POGO (IRE), 131, h, 6, by Zebedee (GB)
1st Dam: Cute (GB), by Diktat (GB)
2nd Dam: Gleam Of Light (Ire), by Danehill
3rd Dam: Gold Runner, by Runnett (GB)
(€10,500 Wlg '16 GOFNOV; £32,000 Ylg '17 GOUKPR). O-Gary
and Linnet Woodward; B-Thomas Foy (IRE); T-Charles Hills;
J-William Buick. £68,052. Lifetime Record: G1SP-Fr, 37-8-6-6,
$655,001. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report &
5-cross pedigree, or click for the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sacred (GB), 128, f, 4, Exceed And Excel (Aus)–Sacre Caroline,
by Blame. O-Cheveley Park Stud; B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd
(GB); T-William Haggas. £25,800.
3–Misty Grey (Ire), 131, g, 5, Dark Angel (Ire)–Chinese White
(Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire). (72,000gns Ylg '18 TATOCT).
O-Barbara & Alick Richmond; B-Skymarc Farm (IRE); T-Tom
Dascombe. £12,912.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 1.75, 1.63, 20.00.
Also Ran: Internationalangel (Ire), Jumby (Ire), Purplepay (Fr), Oscula (Ire), Umm Kulthum (Ire).
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