Titleholders Zacara put out of British Open
By Herbert Spencer
Adrian Kirby’s Cortium beat Lyndon Lea’s Zacara 9-6 Saturday to eliminate the titleholders from the British Open Championship for the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup in the first quarterfinals match of the Cowdray Park Polo Club tournament.
Lea’s Zacara had won both the 2011 British Open and the 2012 US Open, but their hopes for another crack at the British championship were dashed as Cortium dominated them, holding the titleholders scoreless in two chukkas and building a lead from the second period.
The score was tied 1-1 in the first chukka, but after that it was Cortium’s game. By the fifth chukka Cortium were ahead by five goals. Zacara rallied in the last period, outscoring their opponents by three goals to one, but it was too late to save the game.
Polito Pieres was high scorer for Cortium with six goals to his credit.
In the day’s other quarterfinal, the Albwardy’s Dubai downed Nick Clarke’s Salkeld 10-7, denying them any goals in the second and fourth chukka and leading by five goals in the fourth period. Salkeld’s James Beim was injured in the second period and was substituted with Juan Zavaleta.
Sunday’s last quarterfinals matches will see EFG Bank Aravali play Sumaya and Ellerston meet El Remanso.