Ghantoot Polo Team – ADCB wins the McLaren Cup in Dubai
By Victoria Elsbury-Legg
The defending champions Ghantoot Polo Team – ADCB (HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Yousef Bin Dismal, Felipe Llorente, Juan Griz Zavaleta and Alexandro Muzzio) rode off the pitch on Friday 6th February 2015 once again as winners of the McLaren Cup (18 goal) beating Desert Palm 2 (Tariq Albwardy, Tom Brodie, Diego Cavanagh and Matias Torres Zaveleta) by 7-5 in this year’s tournament. This was their third win in the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series (Dubai Open), having also won the Gold Cup in 2014.
In the opening chukkas of the match Desert Palm 2 had a good start, leading by 2-1 at the end of the first chukka and 3-2 at the end of the second. By the third however, great team work from Juan Gris Zavaleta and Alexandro Muzzio saw Ghantoot Polo Team – ADCB take the lead going into half time with a scoreboard reading Desert Palm 2, 3 – 5 Ghantoot Polo Team – ADCB. With Desert Palm 2 scoring three more goals in the fourth the scores narrowed, with just one goal between the two teams going into the fifth and final chukka, Desert Palm 2, 5 – 6 Ghantoot Polo Team – ADCB. In the end despite strong play from Desert Palm 2 it was Ghantoot Polo Team – ADCB who found all the goals in the final chukka, winning the match seven goals to Desert Palm 2’s five goals.
Media Negra played by Juan Gris Zavaleta was named Best Playing Pony of the Final and Yousef Bin Dismal and Juan Gris Zavaleta the Most Valuable Players of the match.
The Hildon Cup was won by Habtoor Polo who beat Abu Dhabi 9-7.
The second part of the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series (Dubai Open) – 18 goal is the Julius Baer Gold Cup which will be played from 23rd February – 13th March, 2015.
Teams
Zone A
UAE Polo Team
Patron: Her Highness Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Santiago Stirling, Lucas Monterverde and Nacho Acuña.
Zedan Polo Team
Patron: Amr Zedan, Martin Gandara, Facundo Fernandez Llorente and Pablo MacDonough.
Bin Drai Polo Team
Patron: Saeed Bin Drai, Agustin Canale, Manuel Fernandez Llorente and Raul Laplacette.
Desert Palm 1 Polo Team
Patron: Rashid Albwardy, Martin Valent, Facundo Castagnola and Santiago Laborde.
Zone B
Mahra Polo
Patron: Rashid Al Habtoor, Guy Gibrat, Joaquin Pittaluga and Ignacio Gonzalez.
Habtoor Polo Team (Julius Baer Team in Julius Baer Gold Cup)
Patron: Mohammed Al Habtoor, Santiago Cernadas, Martin Iturrazpe and Guillermo Cuitino.
Desert Palm 2 Polo Team
Patron: Tariq Albwardy, Tom Brodie, Diego Cavanagh and Matias Torres Zaveleta.
Zone C
Edrees Polo Team
Patron: Sultan Edrees, Pierre Henri N’Goumou, Tito Ruiz Guinazu and Rodrigo Rueda.
Ghantoot ADCB Polo Team
Patron: HH Sheikh Falah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Yousef Bin Dismal, Felipe Llorente, Juan Griz Zavaleta and Alexandro Muzzio.
Abu Dhabi Polo Team
Patron: Faris Al Yabhouni, Felipe Eduardo Martinez Ferairo, Alfredo Capela and Hugo Barabuchi.
Regular updates on the event are available at www.dubaipologoldcup.com and on Facebook: Dubai Polo Gold Cup and Twitter:@DubaiGoldCup.