Cartier Queen’s Cup – Day 3

Cartier Queen’s Cup – Day 3

 

By Diana Butler

 

UAE Polo   16     13    Dubai  at Highfield Farm

 

A clash of the Middle Eastern polo titans this morning with HH Sheikha Maitha’s team proving strongest against Rashid Albwardy’s Dubai team at home. The Sheikha was not playing herself – the youngster Jose Araya, the son of the experienced player Pepe Araya, stepped into her boots and produced a performance way beyond his years, scoring six goals! The first half was a really close game with Adolfo Cambiaso and Diego Cavanagh putting 9 goals on the scoreboard for Dubai. However Pablo MacDonough, Lucas Monteverde and the aforementioned Araya also scored 9, so all was level at the end of the third. The same happened in the fourth, with two goals apiece, including a field goal from Dubai patron Rashid Albwardy.  However Dubai’s fortunes changed dramatically in the fifth. Incredibly for a team of this calibre they failed to score and UAE were quick to take advantage. MacDonough converted a penalty and then the young Araya scored three field goals to take the score to 15-11 going into the sixth and final chukka.

 

However this is Dubai and Cambiaso we are talking about and the team has pulled back from such a deficit many times before. Cambiaso did add to his team’s final score, thanks to a penalty and a field goal, but with MacDonough converting a penalty too, it was UAE who ran out the winners of one of the most exciting games of the tournament so far. 

 

 

Talandracas  11  –  10   Salkeld  at Guards Polo Club

 

Edouard Carmignac’s Talandracas team is no stranger to success in the Queen’s Cup, winning in 2011 and finishing runners up in 2014. They have the horses and with Polito Pieres in the mix, Talandracas should feature on anyone’s shortlist. However their victory today was thanks to Sapo Caset successfully converting a penalty in extra time, one of six goals he fired  through today. 

 

Nick Clarke’s Salkeld had held them to an 8-8 draw after six chukkas. Nick, who scored himself in the third chukka, has brought together three impressive 7-goalers, including the former England team captain Luke Tomlinson, for this tournament, so creating a tough squad which will make life difficult for the more highly fancied teams. Salkeld’s next opponents are the Hanburys’ El Remanso team and that should make for a fascinating encounter this Sunday at El Remanso’s home ground, Manor Farm. 

 

 

Next match – Saturday 23 May at Guards Polo Club

 

King Power v RH Polo at 3pm.  The winning team will receive the Royal Windsor Horse Show Cup.

 

 

Please note that all the games will be live streamed courtesy of PoloCam Productions and Horseplay TV and can be viewed at guardspoloclub.com.  If you are watching the game you can pick up the commentary on your car radio at 90FM.