Cartier Queen’s Cup Final: Park Place 9 – 8 La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal
Cartier Queen’s Cup Sub Final – Cartier Trophy: Sujan Indian Tigers 12 – 9 La Dolfina Scone
Park Place won the Cartier Queen’s Cup at the fifth time of asking this afternoon. They beat La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal 9-8 in a thrilling final. Andrey Borodin received the coveted trophy from Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK, while his number three, Hilario Ulloa, was named the Cartier Most Valuable Player. Ulloa also received the Cartier Best Playing Pony prize for Why Not I’m Easy. This nine-year-old chestnut mare was also owned by the nine-goaler. Ulloa was particularly relieved in his post-match interview with Polocam TV, saying, “this ground owes me one!”
The final was a fitting end to a spectacular tournament. Park Place had squeaked into the last eight thanks to some sharp shooting from Ulloa in the League Three penalty shootout. Borodin’s team then went from strength to strength with the young Argentines, Rufino Bensadon and Rosendo Torreguitar, delivering some impressive performances. The Aznars’ La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal kept Park Place in their sights in this final but they couldn’t get ahead.
Park Place had started this match confidently with a 3-0 lead. Not surprisingly, the young and super talented La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal team came back strongly in the second chukka with three goals. Although Borodin scored a valuable goal at the start of this chukka which kept his team ahead by one (4-3) on the bell.
Some lovely up and down play, interspersed with penalties, were the hallmarks of this match. But with the scores reading 8-8 going into the sixth chukka this was still anyone’s game. With La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal fielding the top scorer of the tournament, Poroto Cambiaso, the packed grandstands – the day was completely sold out several days in advance – were hoping there might be an extra chukka. The eighth overtime of the competition. This seemed even more likely when, with just four minutes left to play, Cambiaso brilliantly saved a Ulloa penalty in the goalmouth. However when Park Place had another penalty from the half-way line, Ulloa picked up the ball and raced it through traffic to score the winner.
Although there were plenty of joyous celebrations, the day was tinged with sadness as the polo community was still coming to terms with the sudden death of the Aureus patron Sunjay Kapur at Guards Polo Club last week. All the teams today wore black armbands as a mark of respect and both games started with a minute’s silence.
Kapur had been playing in his team’s sub semi-final match when he was taken ill. Aureus’s opponents on that day were Sujan Indian Tigers and they took to the field in an emotional sub final game this morning against La Dolfina/Scone. Despite the evident emotion, both teams delivered a fast-paced game on The Duke’s Ground. Sujan Indian Tigers won this match 12-9 and the Tigers’ Juan Martin Zubia was named the Most Valuable Player.
Images: Pablo Ramirez & Sam Churchill
