La Aguada and Ellerstina dominate at Palermo
By Herbert Spencer
La Aguada BMW and Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra chalked up massive wins Sunday on the second day of the 117th Argentine Open Championship at Palermo, the ‘cathedral’ of world polo.
La Aguada’s 20-10 victory over the Heguy’s Indios Chapaleufú II Cardón was the more impressive of the two matches. The Novillo Astradas’ 37-goal team simply wiped the ground with the Heguys’ 34-goal side.
The Novillo Astrada brothers built a 5-0 lead in the first chukka and were 9-4 up by halftime. They dominated even more decisively in the second half.
To add to their woes, Indios Chapaleufú II lost their two star players, 9-goalers Eduardo and Ignacio Heguy. Each received two yellow cards and a match suspension meaning they cannot play in the team’s game against Ellerstina next Sunday. Nachi Heguy also had the bad luck to lose a mare to a broken leg in the second chukka.
Ellerstina’s devastating 15-6 win over AlegrÃa Air France was less unexpected. Ellerstina are the only 40-goal side in the Triple Crown series, they had already won the Tortugas and Hulingham Opens and they were finalists in The Argentina Open last year. AlegrÃa are only rated at 34 goals.
The Pieres’ side held their opponents scoreless for four of the eight chukkas and were a shocking nine goals ahead for the last three.