Guards Polo Club

Scone Polo 10 – 9 Great Oaks LL Les Lions 
Vikings 12 – 11 Murus Sanctus The Castle Ground- Flemish Farm 

Scone Polo, finalists in this competition last year, made their 2022 debut today against Great Oaks LL at Les Lions. Substituting for Monterosso’s David Stirling on Wednesday, Adolfo Cambiaso Jnr (Poroto) was back on the field for Scone Polo. Kicking off their season without an injured Adolfo Cambiaso, a rearranged line-up of Guillermo Terrera, Kian Hall and Rosendo Torreguitar gave Scone Polo the early advantage with one goal on handicap. Responding to their one goal deficit, Great Oaks LL’s Cruz Heguy kick-started their attack with four first half goals, including three penalty conversions to give his team a two-goal lead at half-time. Scone Polo found their stride in the second half, with contributions from Terrera and Hall combining for four goals in the fourth chukka, along with Cambiaso’s third goal of the match to re-take an 8-5 lead. Following a sharp defensive performance from Scone Polo, Heguy took advantage of Scone Polo’s foul troubles to convert two more conversions from the 40-yard line to keep Great Oaks LL in contention. Matching each other stride-for stride with four goals in open play and three successful conversions each, a final drive from Cambiaso and the handicap differential made all the difference, with Scone Polo emerging victorious 10-9. 

 

 

In the second match of the day, Murus Sanctus and Vikings made their 2022 Cartier Queen’s Cup debuts on the majestic Castle Ground at Flemish Farm. Finding early success from the penalty line, Viking’s Juan Martin Zubia was a perfect 4 for 4 at the penalty line in the first half to overcome a slow start in the field, with Vikings only managing two goals from Zubia and Mark Tomlinson on eight shots from open play. Relying on their early accuracy in the field to overcome their five fouls committed in the first half, Murus Sanctus’s trio of Marcos Araya, Facundo Sola and Alfredo Cappella combined for six goals, including two conversions from Sola as the two teams remained deadlocked, 6-6, at the break. Resuming play with grit and determination, goals from Araya and Cappella gave Murus Sanctus a three-goal advantage going into the later stages of the match. Turning the tables to claw back into the lead, Vikings’ Diego Cavanagh hit his first of the match in open play, as Zubia continued to take advantage of Murus Sanctus’s foul troubles. Sending a Penalty 4 through the goal posts, Zubia tied the game at 11-all with six minutes remaining as the two teams remained in a fierce battle until the final seconds. Inside the final minute, a Murus Sanctus foul sent Zubia to the penalty line where he converted his eighth penalty goal as time expired and a triumphant Vikings team captured a 12-11 win.

 

Tomorrow’s Fixtures – Friday 20 May 

12:30 am – Dubai Polo Team vs Thai Polo NP at Coworth Park 1
3:30 pm – La Magdaleine vs Clinova at TBC

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

 

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Monterosso 14 – 11 Twelve Oaks The Castle – Ground-Flemish Farm
King Power 13 – 10 Marques de Riscal – Noel Farm

Twelve Oaks, fresh from victory in the Royal Berkshire’s Prince of Wales’s Trophy, found themselves up against Monterosso (rec 1 goal on handicap) on the Castle Ground at Flemish Farm on day two of the Cartier Queen’s Cup. A line-up change for Monterosso brought Adolfo Cambiaso Jnr into the line-up in place of Pelon Stirling, resulting in a one-goal on handicap. Quickly adding to their advantage, Monterosso raced out to a 4-0 lead and carried their strong play throughout the first half. Ignacio Toccalino and Cambiaso combined for seven of Monterosso’s eight goals in the first half while the team finished a perfect 6 for 6 from the field and 2 for 2 from the penalty line to extend the lead to five (9-4). A yellow card given to Toccalino and two penalty conversions for Twelve Oaks’ Joaquin Pittaluga in the third chukka helped overcome the slow start as they began to match Monterosso stride-for-stride. A huge pass from Cambiaso sprung Toccalino on a breakaway to open the scoring in the second half, but Twelve Oaks quickly recovered, turning to Pittaluga and Cristian Laprida to try and fight back within reach. Despite 10 combined goals from the duo, Monterosso took advantage of nearly every opportunity in the game, finishing an astounding 83% from the field to complete the 14-11 triumph. 

Newcomer to the high-goal stage, Marques de Riscal, led by nine-goaler Sapo Caset, met King Power at Noel Farm in their 2022 debuts. Top Srivaddhanaprabha enters this season with three new teammates in Mackenzie Weisz, Nico Pieres and James Harper, but they quickly demonstrated that King Power is a team to watch in the Cartier Queen’s Cup. Scoring the first five goals of this game, four from Pieres, gave King Power a commanding lead. However, Marques de Riscal showed their resilience and held the potent King Power attack to just one goal over the third and fourth chukkas. Relying on four penalty conversions from Caset, Marques de Riscal fought back to within one, trailing 7-6 at the end of the fourth chukka. Returning to the quick, passing style of play that proved to be successful early in the game, King Power exploded for four goals, including a tally from Srivaddhanaprabha in a decisive fifth chukka. Playing from behind throughout the game, Marques de Riscal made a final push to begin the sixth chukka, pulling back within two after a goal from Facundo Llosa, but the well-balanced King Power team stayed focused to secure a 13-10 victory. 

Tomorrow’s Fixtures – Thursday 19 May

11:30am – Great Oaks LL v Scone Polo at Les Lions
3:00pm – Vikings v Murus Sanctus at Guards Polo Club 

All games are being livestreamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

 

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Park Place Vaara 20 – 11 Thai Polo NP Princes’ Ground Guards Polo Club
Dubai Polo Team 12 – 11 La Magdeleine Dukes Ground Guards Polo Club

The prestigious Cartier Queens Cup tournament began today with the first 22-goal match on Guards Polo Club’s new Princes’ Ground. The result was a successful Park Place Vaara debut in an impressive match against Thai Polo NP. Coming off a successful season in the USA for Park Place, Hilario Ulloa, Juan Britos, Josh Hyde and new addition to the team, Santos Merlos, drew upon established chemistry to give Park Place Vaara a first half lead (8-6). Combining for all eight of their team’s goals, Ulloa and Britos were relentless towards goal with Ulloa adding two penalty conversions. Trying to recapture the magic from last year, Thai Polo NP responded with the Hine brothers, Ned and Louis, answering with six goals to trail by just two at the end of the high-scoring first half. Always ahead in this game, Park Place Vaara surged out of the half-time break with an 11-1 run that was led by perfect 7 for 7 shooting in the game from Ulloa. Despite eight penalty conversions from Ned Hine, Thai Polo NP were unable to slow the electric Park Place Vaara attack as Ulloa finished with a game-high 11 goals to claim an impressive 20-11 victory.

Moving to The Duke’s Ground for the second match of the opening day, the return of Rashid Albwardy’s Dubai Polo Team to the high-goal stage provided a nail-biting game that came down to the final moments. A competitive opening half featured a back and forth start to the match with the two teams exchanging goals to remain tied through the first two chukkas. Five goals from La Magdeleine’s Pablo MacDonough paced his team’s attack, including three successful penalty conversions, while Dubai Polo Team were unable to convert any of their first four penalty attempts. Regrouping in the third chukka, Camilo Castagnola drove forward to score his second and third goals of the first half to give Dubai a narrow 7-5 lead at half-time. Creating separation in the second half, Castagnola continued his success from the field, adding an additional four goals on just five shots, while an organised defence held La Magdeleine to just two goals from MacDonough over the fourth and fifth chukkas. Holding a three-goal lead and just one chukka away from victory, Dubai faced unrelenting pressure from La Magdeleine, who brought the game back within one thanks to an incredible shot from distance by MacDonough with just one minute of the match remaining. Time was now La Madeleine’s enemy and on the bell Dubai Polo Team were ensured a successful return to Guards Polo Club, winning this match 12-11. 

Tomorrow’s fixtures – Wednesday 18 May

11.30am: Twelve Oaks v Monterosso at Castle Ground, Flemish Farm
3pm: King Power v Marques de Riscal at King Power 

All games are being streamed by Guards TV in association with Polocam TV. Go to https://guards.polocam.tv/package

Action in the Queen’s Cup continues May 18, with Twelve Oaks facing Monterosso followed by King Power against Marques de Riscal.  

Photos by IMAGES OF POLO

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Park Place 5 -4 Monterosso for the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup
Bardon 10 – 9 UAE Polo Team for the Talacrest Trophy in extra time
 
Park Place made history at Guards Polo Club today. Andrey Borodin’s squad is the first team to add their names to the impressive, 22-goal Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup. However Alessandro Bazzoni’s Monterosso team made Park Place work hard for this win, keeping themselves in contention until the final bell. There was little between these two sides for much of the match, with both teams producing strong defensive play which kept the goal judges idle. Park Place had a narrow 3-1 lead at half-time but
the players, and the packed grandstands knew that the advantage was on a knife-edge and could change at any time. There had only been a goal between these two sides when they met in the league stages of the Club’s newest tournament, again in favour of Park Place (9-8), and this match was heading the same way.
 
In the fifth Facundo Pieres turned up the heat a little, making the most of some space to push Park Place ahead 4-3. When he had the chance to successfully convert a penalty many wondered if this was the moment that Park Place would now run away with the match. Ignacio Toccalino had other ideas. He successfully converted a penalty to put Monterosso very much back in contention. Facundo Sola had two chances for Monterosso in the sixth but sent them wide and as nobody else had a shot at goal in this final period
the score remained stuck at 5-4, confirming Park Place’s victory.

John Collins, the founder of Talacrest and sponsor of this new high-goal tournament, produced some amazing prizes for all players – and match officials – on finals day, including Cartier watches for the winners. Juan Britos was named Talacrest Most Valuable Player while Machitos Puccini, owned by Monterosso and played by Facundo Sola, was named the Talacrest Best Playing Pony. This seven-year-old bay mare is one of Sola’s favourites.

Appropriately for a title sponsor who is the world’s most experienced classic Ferrari dealer, having sold in excess of about 1,750 Ferrari, to the value of more than $1billion, the teams were not introduced on the field on horseback but from an impressive array of Ferrari. A former high-goal polo patron himself John Collins said when signing this new partnership: “I have been involved with polo at Guards Polo Club for more than 30 years and so am thrilled to be able to support the Club in this high-goal competition. I know from first-hand experience of playing high-goal at Guards that the opportunity for players to compete at the highest level on the best grounds is invaluable.”

Five teams entered this first edition of the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup, with each team playing the others over the previous three weeks. So both teams in the sub final for the Talacrest Trophy, Sheikha Maitha’s UAE Polo Team and Andras Tombor’s Bardon, had met before to . In that encounter the UAE team had comfortably won 13-8. So Bardon came to this game having done their homework and dominated the first half. Matias Machado, who was later named the Talacrest Trophy Most Valuable Player was outstanding in the first half, putting Bardon comfortably ahead 7-2. UAE Polo Team, no stranger to the big occasion, closed the gap in the second half, forcing this match into extra time. This was the first time in the entire tournament that overtime had to be played. Bardon were awarded a penalty early into the extra time which Fran Elizalde converted to win the match 10-9.
 
Images by IMAGES OF POLO
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Bardon Polo Team 10 – 9 Vikings & Monterosso 9 – 8 UAE Polo Team (rec 1 goal)

It was only on the completion of the final league matches of the 2021 edition of the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup that Park Place, and all high-goal polo fans, learned who would be joining Andrey Borodin’s team in Sunday’s final. That honour will go to Monterosso following their tight but impressive win over the UAE Polo Team. Sheikha Maitha’s team were probably favourites to win this match as they had seemed to be getting stronger and stronger as the tournament progressed, but today they could not get past a focused Monterosso. Admittedly UAE were without the talented 15-year-old Lucas Monteverde Junior who was unwell. Stepping into his boots was the four-goaler Cesar Crespo. A change of line-up always unsettles a team but Crespo is no stranger to the big occasion and slotted in well. So it was hard to predict which way this game would go, even when some brilliant play from Facundo Sola and Cubi Toccalino put Monterosso ahead 5-2 early in the third. Alfredo Capella fired through two goals to bring UAE Polo Team very much back into contention (5-4) at half-time, while team-mate Barto Castagnola produced a lovely run on his own at the start of the fourth to level the scores (5-5). From then on though Monterosso were in the driving seat. Spectators on The Queen’s Ground and those watching the live stream were treated to some fabulous runs and very few whistles. Sola in particular was playing superbly and inspiring the rest of his team to raise their game, giving Monterosso a three-goal advantage going into the sixth. Tension in the UAE team had started to show, with Capella receiving a yellow card for an incident at the end of the fifth chukka. The subsequent penalty saw Toccalino increase Monterosso’s lead. UAE Polo Team were not giving up without a fight though and two goals from the “super sub” Crespo put them right back in the mix. With a minute left to play UAE won a 30-yard penalty which Capella fired through with ease, closing the gap to just one goal once again. Time was the enemy now though and on the bell Monterosso not only won the game 9-8 but earned themselves a finals ticket for Sunday.
 


Andras Tombor’s Bardon team were looking for their first win in this tournament and like Monterosso brought their A game to the Duke’s Ground earlier today. With Max Voelker on his way to the USA to take up a soccer scholarship at university, Noor Khadra came into the team. Like the UAE Polo Team, this change in personnel undoubtedly unsettled the team but Khadra is also used to the big occasion – he subbed for David Paradice for some of Scone Polo’s games in the Queen’s Cup – and he fitted in from the first
whistle. Vikings were looking for their second win but Bardon were determined to win this match from the start. They had gone down after some close battles in previous games and wanted a different result today. Fran Elizalde was firing through the goals in the early chukkas to give Bardon a 4-1 lead at the start of the third. Penalties by the sharp-shooting Juan Martin Zubia brought Vikings back into contention 4-3 in the third and a lovely field goal from the young Argentine levelled the scores at half-time. Vikings dominated the early stages of the fourth with some great teamwork between Sebastian Merlos and Zubia, giving Vikings a two-goal advantage (6-4). Elizalde, who had a stand-out game today, levelled the scores once more only for Chris Mackenzie to win a horse race against Matias Machado to give Vikings the narrowest of leads on the bell. The fifth was almost a carbon copy of the previous chukka; but this time it was Bardon’s Bigatti who scored to give his team the advantage going into the final chukka (9-8). Zubia scored when pouncing on a loose ball to level the scores again, only for Elizalde to convert a 30-yard penalty. There was now just three minutes left and the score read 10-9 to Bardon. A shot from Bigatti went wide and a melee in the Bardon goal also resulted in the ball going wide, guaranteeing a Bardon victory at the final bell. Due to the who beat who rule, this win also means that it will be Bardon who will play UAE Polo Team in the Talacrest Trophy sub final on Sunday morning.

Next Games – Sunday 22 August
11am        Duke’s Ground Talacrest Trophy: UAE Polo Team v Bardon
3.30pm   Queen’s Ground Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup
Final:       Park Place v Monterosso
 
Photos by IMAGES OF POLO
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Park Place 10 – 9 Vikings

Andrey Borodin’s Park Place secured their place in the final of the first Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup by maintaining their unbeaten run after four league games. However Vikings almost spoilt Park Place’s clean sheet on The Queen’s Ground this afternoon. Despite trailing 8-5 at the start of the fifth chukka Vikings suddenly started to pile on the pressure. Juan Martin Zubia converted a penalty and after plenty of action in the Park Place goal, Sebastian Merlos scored. He then found the equaliser on the bell and it was now Park Place who were under pressure. Facundo Pieres received a yellow card at the start of the sixth and then some great play from Max Voelker and Chris Mackenzie saw Vikings take the lead, 9-8. With two minutes left to play in this heart-stopping sixth chukka, Pieres fired through the equaliser. Both sides had delivered a edge-of-the-seat game of polo and not surprisingly were determined that this game would not go into extra time. Britos and Mackenzie in particular were focused on keeping the other from the ball. Then with just seconds remaining Pieres launched a big hit to goal – the winning shot. So Park Place finish their league run as the first placed team in the tournament but they will have to wait until Wednesday to know who their opponents in Sunday’s final will be.

Next Games – Wednesday 18 August
12noon: Bardon Polo Team v Vikings
3pm:  Monterosso v UAE Polo Team
 
Photos by IMAGES OF POLO
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UAE Polo 13 – 8 Bardon
UAE Polo Team look stronger in each game in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup and today was no exception. They bore no resemblance to the team that were well beaten by Park Place last Sunday. Today they delivered a strong, big hitting performance against Bardon on the Duke’s Ground. Brilliant team-work plus some impressive two-man play from Alfredo Capella and Barto Castagnola delivered this win. With the 15-year-old Lucas Monteverde Junior delivering some outstanding play, including connecting with penalty shots in the air, the UAE team were in command from the third chukka. Sadly Andras Tombor’s team failed to convert some good play into goals, although they did keep fighting to the end. This result means that Bardon are still hunting their first win with just one match left for them ,to play while the UAE Polo Team are now looking like serious contenders for the final.
Next Match
Sunday 15 August at 4pm: Park Place v Vikings at Guards Polo Club
All games can be watched live at Guards TV
 
Photos by IMAGES OF POLO
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Park Place 9- 8 Monterosso on The Castle Ground

Park Place are the only team to have secured three wins so far in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup and so are in a strong position to secure their place in the final on Sunday 22nd August. Park Place initially showed their dominance in this match against Monterosso, who have one win under their belt, with Park Place leading 6-2 at half-time. Facundo Pieres, who scored seven goals in this match, was impressive in the third chukka, firing through four goals in this period of play Facundo Sola and Matt Perry started to make their presence felt in the second half for Monterosso, with Park Place suddenly looking vulnerable. Some good defensive play from Will Harper kept Monterosso at bay in the fourth but Sola, Perry and Cubi Toccalino all scored in the fifth to bring the scores level 7-7. Pieres converted a 30-yarder at the end of the fifth to give Park Place a narrow 8-7 lead going into the sixth, bur this was now anyone’s game.  Juan Britos put Park Place two ahead with a lovely shot to goal in traffic only for Toccalino to get one back for Monterosso. With a huge hit from distance from Britos going wide, Toccalino was on a run to goal when the final whistle blew. As the commentators reflected, another minute could have easily sent this game into extra time., it was that tight at the end.  

Next game
Saturday 14 August: Bardon Polo Team v UAE Polo Team
All matches are available to view live at Guards TV

 
Photos by IMAGES OF POLO
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UAE Polo Team 11 – 8 Vikings

The UAE Polo Team’s first game in the Talacrest Prince of Wales’s Championship Cup last Saturday had seen them struggle against an in-form Park Place. The team did not appear to gel but it was the first time that this quartet – HH Sheikha Maitha, Lucas Monteverde Junior, Barto Castagnola and Alfredo Capella – had played together. That match report concluded with the words “UAE will build on that experience for their next match”. Build they did today, the UAE Polo Team delivering some strong, cohesive play to win this match and put themselves very much back into contention in this new high-goal tournament.

Vikings, again playing Max Voelker at one in place of their patron and with a win already under their belts, offered a tough  opposition. They might have been trailing 4-2 at the end of the second chukka but had put themselves comfortably ahead by two goals  (7-5) at the end of the fourth, with Chris Mackenzie, who scored a hat-trick in this match, and Juan Martin Zubia delivering strong performances.

The direction of this game changed again in the fifth when the UAE Polo Team were awarded three penalties. These were successfully converted by Castagnola and Capella to put UAE ahead once more (8-7). Perhaps more importantly Vikings failed to score at all in this chukka. Although at this level of polo it was still very much game on, even when Castagnola delivered a lovely angled shot to goal at the very beginning of the sixth. Zubia converted a 30-yard penalty with four minutes left on the clock to keep Vikings’ hopes alive. However, when the UAE Polo Team were awarded a couple of penalties in the final two minutes – successfully converted by the huge hitting Capella – the UAE Polo Team’s victory was assured.

Next Game

Thursday 13 August at 3pm: Park Place v Monterosso on The Castle Ground, Flemish Farm
All matches streamed live at Guards TV

 
Photos by IMAGES OF POLO
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Park Place 10 – 5 UAE Polo Team & Monterosso Polo Team 11 – 9 Bardon
 
Park Place secured their second win of the Talacrest Prince of Wales Championship Cup tournament. They had a convincing victory over HH Sheikha Maitha’s UAE Polo Team, beating them in the rain on the Duke’s Ground 10-5. Facundo Pieres and Juan Britos were in excellent form, ensuring Park Place were 5-1 up at half-time. The UAE Team, playing in a new combination for the first time – nine-goaler Bartolome Castagnola wearing a UAE shirt for this tournament  – took time to gel and gave away too many penalties in the first half. UAE Polo Team started to find their form in the second with the big hitting Alfredo Capella and Castagnola closing the gap to 6-4 going into the sixth chukka. Park Place then upped a gear and great team-work from Pieres, Britos and Will Harper saw them score four goals in this final chukka, ensuring they head to their third match on Thursday, against Monterosso with two good wins under their belt. Castagnola got one back for his new team in the final minutes of this match and with this first game played, UAE Polo Team will build on that experience for their next match, against Vikings, on Wednesday.
 
Both Monterosso and Bardon were looking for that all important first win after going down by just one goal apiece in their opening games earlier in the week. However it is Monterosso that go into week two feeling a little calmer as they won today 11-9. This was a tense and feisty game which saw Facundo Sola being sent off for two minutes in the first chukka after an incident with Alfredo Bigatti, while the umpires showed a couple of yellow cards later in the game. There was nothing between these two teams for much of the match, reflected in the 5-5 scoreline at half-time. Monterosso managed to put some air in the score at the end of the fourth (9-7), with Ignacio Toccalino, Matt Perry and Sola all adding to their team’s tally. Perry in particular had a particularly strong game for Monterosso, always in the right place at the right time and winning the odd horse race against Matias Machado. The tension really showed in the fifth with only Toccalino finding the flags, a spot hit from over 100 yards out from the goal line. Monterosso’s patron was the first to score in the sixth chukka, only for Bigatti and Machado to produce two impressive goals to close the gap. Time was against Bardon now though and on the final bell victory went to Monterosso.
 
Next Game
Wednesday 11 August: 2pm: UAE Polo Team v Vikings
 
Photos by IMAGES OF POLO
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