Enigma and 1870 make it into Queen’s Cup semis
By Herbert Spencer
Jerome Wirth’s Enigma and Adrian Kirby’s 1870 won the first quarter-final games of the Guards Polo Club’s 22-goal Harcourt Developments Queen’s Cup Saturday.
French patron Wirth’s Enigma, one of only three teams of 16 in the tournament to have a clean 3-0 win/loss record, secured their semi-final slot by a single goal as they squeaked past Lyndon Lea’s Zacara 14-13. It was a see-saw contest with the lead changing or the game tied up several times.
Englishman Kirby’s 1870, with their Australasian pros led by 8-goal Kiwi John Paul Clarkin, had a much easier time of it as they dominated Joachim Gottschalk’s Les Lions by 12 goals to 7 to advance to the semis.
Sunday sees the reigning titleholders, Ali Albwardy’s Dubai, play Edouard Carmignac’s Talandracas for a place in the semi-finals. Dubai, led by 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso, lost to Talandracas in their league match, leaving Carmignac’s side undefeated in the tournament.
The third undefeated Queen’s Cup team, Jean François Decaux’s La Bamba de Areco with 10-goal brothers Gonzalito and Facundo Pieres, plays Prince Bahar Jefri’s Richard Mille in the last quarter-final match at Guards on Sunday.
The semi-finals will be played at Guards on Wednesday 8 June, with the final on Sunday 12 June.