Ahmad Aboughazale received the inaugural Westbury Mayfair Trophy after the Sumaya team overcame Dubai in a tense semi-final on The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club. Last year’s runners-up dominated the first chukka, and a Milo Fernandez Araujo goal at the start of the second saw them 5-2 up. Dubai then came back into the game – much of it thanks to Adolfo Cambiaso, who was on flying form. A fantastic under-the-neck shot – which even left the commentators speechless - closed the gap to 5-4 and he followed that up immediately with another one to level the scores. Hilario Ulloa, who had a great game for Sumaya, converted a penalty to put the red shirts ahead once. The third chukka belonged to Dubai though with both Cambiaso and Christian Laprida showing some flair on the field to make the scores level, 7-7 at half-time.
A further three goals in the fourth gave Dubai the advantage and many people watching the game from the packed stands, enjoying a great game and an unexpected warm and dry afternoon, believed that this was the turning point of the game and Dubai would now run away with the match. Sumaya had a different tale to tell though and Aboughazale produced a fine goal to keep his team’s hopes alive. This was followed by a fantastic goal from Milo Fernandez Araujo and then a spectacular mid-air shot to goal from the stick of Ulloa. Once again the scores were level and opinions were divided as to who would take the honours. Adolfo, who earlier in the this chukka had uncharacteristically sent a shot wide at 50-yards, found the flags, but the chukka ended with Araujo successfully converting a penalty to level the scores once more.
Sadly the tension of the occasion got to the players in the final chukka and penalties were the order of the day. Laprida successfully converted the first of those to give Dubai the edge, but then Ulloa then converted three penalties to give Sumaya a 14-12 lead. Cambiaso responded with one of his trademark runs down the field, only for Araujo to successfully clear the ball away just yards from Sumaya’s goalmouth. Laprida had more luck and scored with just 30 seconds on the clock. Cambiaso then picked up the ball from this throw in and started another fine run down the field only to be stopped by the final whistle.
Sumaya: Ahmad Aboughazale (1); Hilario Ulloa (7); Milo Fernandez Araujo (8); Ignus Du Plessis (6). Dubai: Tariq Albwardy (1); Christian Laprida (7); Adolfo Cambiaso (10); Martin Valent (4).
Lechuza Caracas finished the first chukka 1-0 up, but this was the only time in this semi-final on The Duke’s Ground that Victor Vargas’s team were in the lead. Apes Hill levelled the scores (2-2) in the second and then had a comfortable 4-2 lead at half-time. Apes Hill, who had impressed everyone when they won over La Bamba De Areco in the quarter-finals, continued playing good team polo with all four members of the team having crucial roles in this game. This format paid off for them handsomely in the fourth chukka as the scoreline read 6-3 at the bell. The spectators benefited too with some great runs and a few thrilling rideoffs between Guillermo Casset and Juan Gris Zavaleta.
Lechuza struggled to keep in the game in the fifth with two penalties going wide, while some great play from Charlie Hanbury and Luke Tomlinson saw Apes Hill expand their led to 8-4. Lechuza came back in the final chukka thanks to some great play from Araujo and Vargas, as did Mark Tomlinson for Apes Hill. Lechuza’s Casset scored as well to close the gap to just three goals but it was too late to stop Apes Hill from going through to the next round. Kari Perrodo, widow of Hubert Perrodo, the patron of the Labegorce polo team which won the Queen’s Cup in 2004, presented the trophy in her husband’s name to Cow Williams, patron of the Apes Hill team. One of those watching this presentation ceremony was Carlos Gracida, who had been a member of that 2004 winning team.
Apes Hill: Charlie Hanbury (3); Mark Tomlinson (6); Juan Gris Zavaleta (6); Luke Tomlinson (7). Lechuza Caracas: Victor Vargas (1); Gullermo Casset (8); Miguel Novillo Astrada (9); Juan Carlos Harriet (4).
Apes Hill will now play Sumaya in the final of the Harcourt Developments Queen’s Cup this Sunday at Guards Polo Club.
