Audi Wins, in Finals of USPA Gold Cup
By Alex Webbe
A talented Black Watch team gave Audi everything it could handle in the first three chukkers of play Wednesday morning at the International Polo Club in Wellington, but the team play of Marc Ganzi and the Pieres brothers staged a second half push that game them a 10-8 win and a spot in Sundays USPA Piaget Gold Cup finals.
Audi held early leads after the first and second chukker, but Black Watch relied on three consecutive third chukker goals from Sugar Erskine to give them their first lead of the game, 5-4. With time running down in the first half, Nicolas Pieres took a pass from brother Facundo Pieres to score the tying goal, and the teams left the field all even at 5-5.
Nicolas Pieres set the tone for the balance of the game at the start of the second half, as he broke free on three straight drives, scoring a goal on each attempt for an 8-6 lead.
“I’ve got to give the credit to my horse,†said Nicolas Pieres, referring to Cangrejo, a 9-year-old Bay gelding he rode in the fourth chukker.
Black Watch fought back but just couldn’t catch up with the well-oiled Audi machine.
Fred Mannix, Jr. brought Black Watch to within a goal in the fifth chukker, but that would be as close as they would get.
“We had our opportunities,†said a tired and disappointed Mannix after the game, “we just didn’t take advantage of them.â€
Gonzalito Pieres scored two consecutive goals in the sixth chukker of play as Audi rolled to a 10-8 victory, and a berth in Sunday’s Gold Cup finals.