Wolves and Bin Drai, the first winners of The McLaren Cup
The McLaren Cup, Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series 2016 first trophy, started today with a great double action polo day at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club.
Wolves Polo and Bin Drai achieved the first victories of the tournament in two great matches. In the first match of the day, Wolves Polo, team made by Khalaf Rashid Al Habtoor, Agustín Canale, Diego Araya and Gerónimo del Carril defeated Habtoor in overtime by 10 goals to 9.
A 30 yard penalty scored by Araya gave the Wolves a dramatic victory in extra chukker after a great comeback in the 5th chukker to tie the match in 9 goals.
Habtoor Polo, (Mohammed Al Habtoor, Manuel Elizalde, Matías Torres Zavaleta and Guillermo Cuitiño) controlled the game till the last chukka, with a comfortable gap of 5 goals at half time. But the reaction of Wolves Polo put great suspense in the final minutes and goals by Araya and Del Carril in the last seven minutes tied the match to finally achieve the victory in overtime.
Guillermo Cuitiño was the top scorer of the match with 5 goals and Araya and Del Carril scored 4 goals each for the Wolves Polo Team.
Match progression:
Wolves: 0-1/ 2-4/ 3-7/ 6-8/ 9-9/ 10-9
Following the opening match, the winners of the Presidents Cup, Bin Drai Polo keeps the victory streak and defeated UAE Polo by 8 goals to 6.
Bin Drai teamwork was the clue to defeat a though opponent like UAE Polo with superstar Lucas Monteverde in great shape.
Patron Saeed Bin Drai team achieved a big difference in the first half (5-0) and despite the reaction of UAE in the final two chukkas they kept the score safe to finally win the match by 8-6. Monteverde was the top scorer of the game with 6 goals and Marcos Panelo, with 4, the scorer in Bin Drai Polo team.
Match progression:
Bin Drai: 1–0/ 2-0/ 5-0/ 7-3/ 8-6
The McLaren Cup will continue tomorrow at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club with Zedan Polo facing Mahra from 3pm.
Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series (Dubai Open), an 18 Goal Handicap competition, enters its seventh year under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. The tournament is now the highest handicap in the UAE.
The Dubai Open has been split into two tournaments. Starting with the McLaren Cup 2016, which runs from Friday January 22, 2016 to Friday February 5, 2016. The second tournament, the Julius Baer Gold Cup, commences on Friday, February 19, 2016 to Friday March 11, 2016.
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series is the fourth-largest tournament of its kind after Argentina, the US and the UK. First founded by Mohammed Al Habtoor in 2009, the tournament is the premier regional polo competition of the year, and attracts VIPs, society figures, and senior corporate executives from across the GCC. It has grown in tandem with the city of Dubai and since 2012, it is the only tournament in the UAE to be recognized and certified by the World Polo Tour (WPT).
It is played under the banner of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA), with the Gold Cup being played according to HPA rules and the provision of umpires is managed under strict international supervision by the HPA.
The participating teams will host some of the top-ranking World Polo Tour players, including Pablo Mac Donough, the 10-goal superstar and two-time ‘Triple Crown Champion with La Dolfina’; Lucas Montverde (9-goal handicap); Guillermo Terrera (8-goal handicap), Alfredo Cappella Barabucci (8-goal handicap) and Alejandro Novillo Astrada (8-goal handicap) and many others. The Dubai Polo Gold Cup will be held at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club in Arabian Ranches.
Six polo teams will be participating in the McLaren Cup 2016 18-goal handicap:
Mahra Polo – Patron: Rashid Al Habtoor
Bin Drai Polo Team – Patron: Saeed Bin Drai
Habtoor Polo Team – Patron: Mohammed Al Habtoor
UAE Polo Team – Patron: Her Highness Sheikha Maitha bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Zedan Polo Team – Patron: Amr Zedan
Habtoor Wolves Polo Team – Patron: Ahmed Mohammed Al Habtoor / Khalaf Rashid Al Habtoor