Cartier Queen’s Cup Quarter Finals
The two remaining unbeaten teams in this year’s Cartier Queen’s Cup competition kept their unblemished record today after wins in the first quarter-finals of this high-goal contest.
Rashid Albwardy’s Dubai defeated the Pailloncy brothers HB Polo 15-9 in a morning game at the Gottschalk family’s Les Lions polo grounds. Although Adolfo Cambiaso was on good form, scoring nine of his team’s 15 goals, the entire Dubai played well as a team, ensuring there were always players in place to pick up passes. For HB Polo, Ludovic Pailloncy was particularly impressive, while brother Sebastien worked hard in defence, concentrating on keeping Cambiaso and Juan Martin Nero away from the ball whenever possible. However, it was clear to those watching, of which there were many, that Dubai were command of this game from the first whistle and if HB Polo had started to look really threatening, Dubai would just up the pace.
There was a similar story in King Power Foxes’ game against La Bamba De Areco this afternoon at Guards Polo Club. Scores were level (2-2) at the end of the first, but King Power started to then pull away and were 8-4 up at half-time. Diego Cavanagh and his patron Jean Francois Decaux tried hard to keep La Bamba in contention, and the packed grandstands at Smith’s Lawn watched a flowing match without being interrupted by too many umpires’ whistles. But King Power, the current holders of the Cartier Queen’s Cup, remained dominant and thanks to some accurate penalties off the stick of Gonzalito Pieres they had a seven-goal lead (13-6) at the end of the fifth. Having established this substantial advantage, King Power Foxes then eased up in the sixth, while La Bamba scored four further goals. This brought them back into the game, but was not enough to change the status quo and King Power Foxes won the game 14-10.
Cartier Queen’s Cup Quarter-Finals – Sunday 5 June
11am La Indiana v Sifani at Billingbear Park
3pm Zacara v RH Polo at Guards Polo Club. The winner of this match will receive the Gerard Leigh Trophy.