Dubai still leads Gold Cup league
By Herbert Spencer
The Albwardys’ Dubai squeaked by Adrian Kirby’s Silver Spring 1870 by 13 goals to 12 on Friday to gain an unassailable lead in League One of Cowdray Park Polo Club’s British Open Championship for the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup.
Dubai’s high-scorers Adolfo Cambiaso and Pablo MacDonough did not have it all their own way, however, as their opponents held the lead twice and tied the game four times in a see-saw battle.
Newcomers Silver Spring 1870 are the only side in the tournament with no South Americans in their line-up and most of their ponies are from New Zealand and Australia.
Silver Spring unluckily lost Australian Ruki Baillieu to a riding muscle injury in the third chukka after he had scored five goals to keep his team in the game. Ruki was replaced by South Africa’s Nachi du Plessis who went on to score twice. Silver Spring’s other goals were by New Zealand’s John-Paul Clarkin and Australia’s Rob Archibald.
Dubai have now won all three of their league games to top their bracket.
In the day’s other two matches, Lyndon Lea’s Zacara defeated Joe Gottschalk’s 11-9 to take second place in League One with a 2-1 record and Nick Britten-Long’s Cirencester Park Polo Club beat Ed Magor’s Panthers 10-8 in League Three.