Valiente 11 – 7 Emlor at Flemish Farm, Guards Polo Club
Rob Jornayvaz’s Valiente team started their 2018 Cartier Queen’s Cup campaign with a good win over Spencer McCarthy’s Emlor on the impressive Castle Ground at Flemish Farm. This was in spite of them seeing their number two Hugo Lewis having to retire – he had scored two goals earlier in this match – in the fifth chukka after his horse slipped. His place was taken by fellow Englishman Jack Hyde who went to score Valiente’s only goal in the sixth chukka. Luckily for Valiente the eight goals they had shot through in the first two chukkas, off the sticks of Lewis, Cristian Laprida and Adolfo Cambiaso – to none in reply from Emlor – had given them a comfortable cushion. Emlor’s Diego Cavanagh got into the game in the third, going on to score five of his team’s seven goals and although McCarthy and Agustin Merlos added to this tally, this was very much Valiente’s game.
Park Place 9 – 8 La Indiana at Smith’s Lawn, Guards Polo Club
Andrey Borodin’s Park Place registered their first 22-goal game this afternoon, collecting the Royal Windsor Horse Show Trophy in the process. They narrowly defeated La Indiana in a fast-paced match on The Queen’s Ground, but this was a close game and could have gone either way. Michael Bickford’s team had a 2-1 advantage after the first chukka, including one of two goals off the stick of the patron in this match, only for Park Place to go ahead 4-3 after the second. Juan Britos had a strong game for Park Place, scoring five of his team’s goals and working brilliantly with Hilario Ulloa and Tommy Beresford throughout the six chukkas to ensure the blue shirts stayed ahead. It was not the same story for La Indiana’s Facundo Pieres. He was injured during the match and although he was able to continue to play, this 10-goal star had to miss the match presentations to have treatment. He also received a yellow card in the third chukka.
At half-time the score was still tight – 5-4 to Park Place – and as both teams scored four goals apiece in the second half, it was Park Place that won the game.