Solid wins for Enigma, Sumaya in British Open league play
By Herbert Spencer
Jerome Wirth’s Enigma downed Harald Link’s Thai Polo 10-6 on the second day of the British Open Championship for the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup at Cowdray Park Polo Club.
In the first chukka Enigma, spearheaded by 10-goaler Juan Martin Nero, held Thai Polo scoreless and took a 3-0 lead. Positions were reversed in the second period as Thai Polo denied their opponents any goals, but only scored twice leaving Enigma ahead 3-2.
Enigma again shut Thai Polo out in the third chukka and scored one to increase their advantage to 4-2. Wirth’s side outscored Link’s foursome in the fourth period, taking their lead to 6-3, with patron Link scoring Thai Polo’s only goal. Nero scored three in the fifth chukka against one by Thai Polo’s Alejandro Agote, giving Enigma a commanding 9-4 advantage.
In the sixth and final period, Nero increased Enigma’s lead to 10-4 before Thai Polo staged a late rally with two goals by Malcolm Borwick, but it was then too late to catch up.
In the day’s second match, Ahmad Aboughazale’s Sumaya dominated Adrian Kirby’s Cortium 11-7.
League play in the British Open continues Thursday when Prince Bahar Jefri’s Richard Mille meets Karan Thapur’s EFG Bank Aravali at Ambersham, Cowdray Park.