Gold Cup – 25/06/10

Romp in the park as Dubai downs Emerging 

By Herbert Spencer

The Albwardys’ Dubai, winners of this year’s Queen’s Cup, downed Fabian Pictet’s Emerging 15-10 Friday in their opening match for the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup at Cowdray Park Polo Club.


It has been five years now since Dubai, led by 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso, has won the British Open. They were denied in 2009 when they lost the final to La Bamba de Areco, and Cambiaso, fresh from his record seventh win in the Queen’s Cup earlier this month, appeared determined to snatch the Gold Cup again.


Luck of the draw has meant that Dubai faces only some of the weaker teams in League One of this year’s 20-team competition. Their draw against Emerging was no exception. Dubai are a 23-goal team since their Francisco Vismara’s handicap was put up to 3 after the Queen’s Cup. Emerging is only rated at 21 goals and they had already lost a match in the league.


Friday’s match against Emerging looked at times like just a romp in the park for Dubai and the score line could easily have been much more one-sided. Cambiaso appeared to be treating the game more as a warm-up, trying tactics and combinations and all the team’s ponies rather than building up an impressive advantage.


Emerging, returning to English high goal after some years absence, accepted their fate and at half-time patron Pictet stepped aside to give his slot to his son Sasha.