THE QUEEN'S CUP QUARTERFINALS : THE BEST POLO AND BEST ENGLISH WEATHER!
by Alberto van der Mye
Four 22 goal polo teams are set to advance to the semi finals of the prestigious English high goal tournament : EL REMANSO, DUBAI, CORTIUM AND ZACARA.
DUBAI 12-UAE POLO 8 AT DUBAI FIELD .
The first game played in glorious English sunshine (for once) was won by the 10 goal maestro Adolfo Cambiaso by four goals . It was always going to be that way as it was a Dubai versus their sister team UAE POLO played on their own polo field, same manager and sharing horses. Princess Sheikha Maitha put together a plausible team in her first season of high goal polo . She is a good rider an did a good job taking out higher rated players thus helping her super star 10 goaler Pablo McDonough who struggled to find his form. This was a rather boring game despite having four former winners of the Palermo Open on the same polo field more like a blow out or practice game with umpires with the usual arguments by the two 10 goal stars.
EL REMANSO 12 BLACK BEARS 11 AT COWORTH
This was a very, very good 22 goal game with both sides well mounted and four man teams led by young patrons playing well above their respective handicaps in the dream like setting of Cowarth Park formerly the house of Guards own Major Willy Lloyd now a luxury hotel. Black Bears is a top team led by 8 goalers J P Clarkin & Nachi du Plessis & the only team in the tournament not to feature an Argentine pro. A much closer game with open field play running up and down the field, few penalties . Black Bears is managed by Michi Gracida daughter of Mexican 10 goaler Memo Gracida who has done a great job this year getting their horses in top condition despite a horrific winter. Sadly for Black Bears they never found the answer to Uruguay 10 goaler David "Pelon" Stirling at back for El Remanso simply turning on the ball & dribble in to score. Guillermo Terrera for El Remanso is robbing handicap at 7 goals. Black Bears have now hired a coach and will be back with a vengeance for the Gold Cup which starts in less than two weeks.
CORTIUM 10- TALANDRACAS 9 AT GUARDS POLO CLUB
Yet another super 22 goal game this time played at Duke's Ground (Field 2) at Guards Polo Club. Despite Juan Martin Nero playing 12 goal polo and combining well with Lucas James they never got ahead of Cortium due to patron fouls. I take of my hat off to middle age patrons my contemporaries going out week in week out playing wide open against the best polo players on the planet but at that speed is not easy to calculate the new line after a certain age. Adrian Kirby is a strong amateur player who has put together a good team with Fran Elizalde one of the most exciting forwards in polo and a superb penalty shooter. Excellent game Cortium to the semis against El Remanso.
ZACARA 11- LES LIONS 10 IN SUDDEN DEATH OVER TIME AT GUARDS POLO
The polo fans love sudden death overtime. My friend the late american polo patron John Oxley owner of Royal Palm Polo in Palm Beach would rumour had it give teams a break in tournament fees if games went into over time. The last quarterfinal was a penalty ridden game with 10 penalties in the first 11 minutes a truly boring polo match save for the last half of the sixth chukka. Les Lions led by the Merlos brothers started out as underdogs against Zacara the US OPEN champion led by 10 goaler Facundo Pieres who scored the golden goal in extra time in yes another penalty ! Patron Joachim Gottschalk also my contemporary is really good at taking the man & most important RARELY fouling a great plus to his team. This was looking like a major upset as Les Lions led by 2 goals in the final chukka and Agustin Merlos missed two goals on breakaways that he routinely makes 9 out of 10 . Well done Lyndon Lea who received the Gerard Leigh trophy but now faces yet again as in Palm Beach earlier in the year ADOLFO CAMBIASO in the semis on Weds 3 pm.
We look forward to the best polo in the semi finals with the two best players on the planet Facundo Pieres & Adolfo Cambiaso doing battle yet again for the third time this year in a major tournament : Argentine Open & US Open going to Pieres but whatever happens there will be a Pieres in the final Sunday as brother Nico Pieres plays with Adolfo. Lets not forget El Remanso and Cortium in the other semi two very well mounted, balanced talented polo teams.
This writer sees El Remanso & Dubai Final with the masterful maestro Adolfo Cambiaso lifting the venerable Queen's Cup again in 2013 as in 2012. Happy days,
"Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly" 
Rabii Benadada
