The Dubai Polo Season is in full swing. Joanna Andrews brings you the latest from the high-goal tournaments played at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club – the new epicenter for polo in the Middle East.
Julius Baer Gold Cup (Dubai Open)
The Julius Bear Gold Cup, the region’s most high-profile polo tournament, is currently underway at the upmarket equestrian centre, the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club. The 18 Goal Handicap tournament, which runs from 18 February until 9 March 2018, is now in its ninth year. The tournament, which has 8 teams vying for the highly-touted trophy, is followed by the Dubai Challenge Cup (18 Goal Handicap) and the Dubai Cup 2018 (8-10 Goal Handicap), which concludes the Dubai Polo season on 13 April.
McLaren Silver Cup 2018
Zedan Polo Team is the new champion of the 18-Goal Handicap McLaren Silver Cup. Zedan Polo defeated Bin Drai Polo in a close game which ended 9 goals to 8.5. It marks the fourth win for Zedan Polo, which has had a good run in the tournament over the years, winning the Gold Cup in 2015 and 2017, and the Silver Cup in 2016. Ten Goaler superstar Pablo Mac Donough was the hero of the day after scoring a 30-yard penalty in the final minute of the game to secure Zedan’s victory. Bin Drai’s Raúl Laplacette was named MVP and top scorer after 5 goals. His horse Cruzeiro was crowned Best Playing Pony.
Meanwhile, Habtoor Polo Team defeated UAE Polo Team by 11 to 8 to win the Hildon Cup. Bautista Urbina (Habtoor) and Polito Pieres (UAE) were the top scoreres of the match scoring 5 goals each.
Polo Masters Cup 2018
The UAE Polo Team is crowned the new champion of the Polo Masters Cup 2018. The team, led by Her Highness Maitha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, defeated Mohammed Al Habtoor’s team, Habtoor Polo in a tightly-fought match which ended 5.5 goals to 5. UAE Polo Team managed to get ahead after a spectacular goal by teenaged player Lucas Monteverde Jr. The Wolves came in third place after defeating RA Polo by 5 goals to 4.
Julius Bär Gold Cup
Bin Drai Polo won the Julius Bär Gold Cup in an exciting final against Abu Dhabi Polo at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club on Friday 9 March 2018. Bin Drai stormed ahead with 13 goals to 9.
After losing the final of the McLaren Cup against Zedan, team made up by patron Rashid Bin Drai, Andrés Laplacette, Matías Torres Zavaleta and Raúl Laplacette became stronger in the Gold Cup and achieved it´s reward by lifting the Julius Bär Gold Cup.
Andrés Laplacette was named the Most Valuable Player of the final (MVP) and Cruzeiro (played by Raúl Laplacette in the 1st and 4th chukker) the Best Playing Pony (BPP). Cruzeiro was also the BPP of the McLaren Silver Cup 2018.
The Julius Bär Gold Cup (Dubai Open), an 18-goal handicap competition, is one of the only tournaments in the United Arab Emirates to be recognized and certified by the World Polo Tour (WPT) and ranked by the highly coveted ‘WPT Cup’, resulting in winners receiving 60 points for their victory. The tournament is played under the banner of the Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) and under strict international supervision according to the HPA rules and provision of its umpires.
Bentley Cup
Desert Palm Polo took home the Bentley Cup after defeating Habtoor Polo in a tightly-fought game. The prestigious tournament saw an exciting final which resulted in Desert Palm beating Mohammed Al Habtoor’s team 7 goals to 5 at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club on Friday 9 March 2018.