Kirby’s 1870 team win in Queen’s Cup league

Kirby’s 1870 team win in Queen’s Cup league

By Herbert Spencer

Adrian Kirby’s 1870 team easily dominated Ben Solieani’s Mansour Jaeger-LeCoultre by 13 goals to 6 Wednesday to top League Two of the Harcourt Developments Queen’s Cup at Guards Polo Club.  


Unlike most of the other teams in the 22-goal Queen’s Cup, centred on Argentine professionals, Kirby’s pros are all from Australasia: 8-goaler John Paul Clarkin from New Zealand and Australians Ruki Ballieu, 7, and Rob Archibald, 6.


The team also has some fine Thoroughbred ponies from Down Under and they made a difference as Kirby’s 1870 outstripped Mansour Jaeger-LeCoultre, led by 9-goal Argentine Eduardo Novillo Astrada, in pony power.


The match gave 1870 a 2-0 win/loss position in their league and at this point they top the bracket and the tournament with the biggest difference in goals scored. This makes Kirby’s Australasian side strong contenders to qualify for the final stages of the 2011 Queen’s Cup. 


In an earlier match at Guards, Ali Albwardy’s Dubai, the reigning titleholders led by 10-goaler Adolfo Cambiaso, beat Christopher Hanbury’s El Remanso, with his sons Charlie and George playing, by 9 goals to 6. Dubai are now the leaders in League Three of the Queen’s Cup with a 2-0 win/loss record.