The Queen’s Cup, one of the most prestigious polo tournaments around the world, resumed its activity on Sunday with two matches. A total of 11 teams up to 22 goals are taking part of the competition. The current matchday featured a win by Les Lions over Monterosso and by La Bamba de Areco over Talandracas.

LES LIONS 8-7 MONTEROSSO (at Coworth Park 2) 

Monterosso and Les Lions were looking for that all important first win when they headed to Coworth Park on day five of the Queen’s Cup. And it looked as if it was going to Alessandro Bazzoni’s team who would be notching up a victory thanks to four early goals from Cubi Toccalino, who celebrates his birthday today. Les Lions failed to score at all in the first and only a goal apiece from Guillermo Terrera and Max Gottschalk in the second kept them in contention. It was all change in the third though. Now it was Monterosso who failed to score in the next two chukkas. Meanwhile, Les Lions gradually crept past Monterosso, thanks to a couple of accurate penalties from Joaquin Pittaluga and a field goal from Jaime García Huidobro. With the score reading 5-4, there was still all to play for both sides, but as the teams fired through the same number of goals (3) in final two chukkas – a familiar pattern in this year’s tournament – Les Lions won the match.

Les Lions: Guillermo Terrera 8 (1 goal), Jaime García Huidobro 7 (1), Joaquín Pittaluga 7 (5), Max Gottschalk 0 (1). Total: 22.
Monterossor: Alessandro Bazzoni 1, Juan Martín Zubía 6 (1 goal), Cubi Toccalino 8 (5), Santiago Toccalino 8 (1). Total: 22.
Score Les Lions: 0-1, 2-4, 4-4, 5-4, 7-6, 8-7.
Umpires: Jason Dixon and Peter Wright. Third man: Tim Bown.

LA BAMBA DE ARECO 12-7 TALANDRACAS (Kerry Packer Trophy, at The Duke’s Ground) 

The second game of the day was pretty much a carbon copy of the morning match, although these teams have already registered a league win each and the general pace was a little faster. Talandracas kicked things off with the three pros all firing through a goal. La Bamba had to rely on young Zac Beim – nephew of El Remanso’s James – to get them on the scoreboard; Zac was standing in for his patron Jean Francois Decaux who was unwell. When La Bamba failed to score in the second, Talandracas must have felt that this game was theirs for the taking. Once again though, fortunes changed in the third with Talandracas failing to score and Byron Watson closing the gap to 5-2. La Bamba de Areco came out looking for a win in the second half. Three goals from Pelon Stirling and two from Juan Martin Nero tilted the balance in favour of La Bamba for the first time, 7-6.

A quiet fifth chukker, with a goal apiece from both sides, meant that it was still “;;game on” in the sixth and final chukka. Maybe it was then that La Bamba decided that the Kerry Packer Trophy was to be theirs and put away four goals to none in reply from Talandracas. Not only did La Bamba de Areco win this game 12-7, but they are the first team to register two victories.

Unfortunately, Ros Packer could not be at Guards Polo Club today to present the trophy played in memory of her late husband and so the presentation honours went to David Paradice. He co-runs the Ellerston polo set up in Australia with Mrs Packer and had only just arrived in the UK – coming directly to the Club from Heathrow!

La Bamba de Areco: Zac Beim 0 (1 goal), Byron Watson 3 (2), Pelon Stirling 9 (6), Juan Martín Nero 10 (3). Total: 22.

Talandracas: Hugues Carmignac 0, Alejandro Muzzio 7 (3 goals), Francisco Elizalde 8 (3), Julián de Lusarreta 7 (1). Total: 22.

Score La Bamba de Areco: 1-3, 1-5, 2-5, 7-6, 8-7, 12-7.

Umpires: Tim Bown and Julian Appleby. Third man: Robert Graham.

The Queen’s Cup will resume on Sunday with the following order of play:
3pm: Clinova vs El Remanso, at The Queen’s Ground.