Zacara, Loro Piana win In British Open leagues
By Herbert Spencer
Lyndon Lea’s Zacara squeeked past Prince Bahar Jefri’s Richard Mille 11-10 Sunday in a see-saw Group C match in the British Open Championship for the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup at Cowdray Park Polo Club.
Zacara took the first chukka 3-1, but Richard Mille rallied in the second period to outscore their opponents. Their Max Rutledge equalised, then patron Prince Bahar Jefri scored to put his team ahead 5-4. Zacara held Richard Mille scoreless in the third period as Hilario Ulloa equalised and Gonzalo Deltour gave Lea’s side a 6-5 advantage.
Positions were reversed in the fourth chukka with Richard Mille denying their opponents any points and retaking the lead 7-6 with two goals by Rutledge.
Zacara outscored the Brunei prince’s side in the fifth period, with Zacara’s Deltour equalising and Ignatius Du Plessis accounting for three points to lead again and end the chukka 10-9. Du Plessis made it 11-9 in the sixth chukka, then Richard Mille’s 10-goaler Pablo MacDonough pulled one back before time ran out, leaving Zacara the winners.
In the day’s other Gold Cup encounter, in Group B, Alfio Marchini’s Loro Piana led throughout the match to defeat Jerome Wirth’s Enigma 13-10.