Argentina reduces four 10-goalers
By Herbert Spencer
The Asociación Argentina de Polo (AAP) has dropped four of its 10-goal players to 9 goals at the end of its big 2010 season, leaving only six players there at the sport’s maximum handicap.
Bartolomé ‘Lolo’ Castagnola and Lucas Monteverde, both of whom played for defeated La Dolfina in the Argentine Open final, went from 10 to 9, as did Miguel Novillo Astrada of La Aguada and veteran Mariano Aguerre of Alegria.
The remaining 10-goalers on the AAP handicap list are Adolfo Cambiaso, Facundo and Gonzalito Pieres, Pablo MacDonough, Juan Martin Nero and Marcos Heguy. Heguy retained his 10-goal rating despite not having played a single Triple Crown game due to injury.
Three other higher-rated players were reduced from 9 goals to 8: Bautista and Eduardo Heguy and Juan Ignacio Merlos.
Three AAP players went up from 7 to 8: Pablo and Nicolas Pieres and Tomás García del Rio. South Africa’s Ignus ‘Nachi’ du Plessis was raised from 6 to 7.
Some of the Argentine players whose handicaps were reduced by the AAP may retain higher ratings in the US and England, but their home handicaps are the most significant given that, in principle, they have access to their best ponies at home.
The full list of AAP handicap changes from www.aapolo.com