More Gold Cup action on Saturday 29th June kicked off an exciting weekend of polo at Cowdray Park Polo Club.
Match 1
The first match of the weekend saw a surprise upset with Queen’s Cup winners Talandracas losing out to White Crane in an overtime extravaganza. An impressive 5-0 lead in the first chukka showed everyone that White Crane meant business, an attitude they carried throughout despite a relentless attack from Talandracas, determined not to lose their unbeaten streak which resulted in a comeback in the fifth chukka. White Crane equalised in the 6th though and it was the underdogs who scored that all important golden goal in overtime and put an end to Talandracas’ perfect run.
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Match 2
A straightforward win for the Queen’s Cup Finalists saw La Dolfina Great Oaks defeat the UAE Polo Team, almost doubling their score. Sheikha Maitha’s team struggled to get any real purchase on the slippery La Dolfina boys, led from the front by the effortlessly talented Poroto Cambiaso who controlled the game, Cavanagh providing an excellent play partner while Kian Hall and Dillon Bacon worked hard in defence to create space. Not even Lucas Monteverde’s nippy style of play was up to the task and La Dolfina Great Oaks rode to an easy win with 8 field goals and 3 penalties to UAE’s 6 goals (half from the field and half from the penalty line).
Chukka Breakdown:
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Photo credit – Mark Beaumont