By Alex Webbe, Interviews by PoloLine
Apes Hill took an early lead (3-2 after the first two chukkers of play) and held on to score an 8-6 win over a determined HB Polo team in the final of the Bledisloe Warwickshire Cup Sunday afternoon at the Cirencester Park Polo Club.
The game was all even at 2-2 after the opening chukker, but a smothering Apes Hill defense kept HB Polo off the scoreboard in the second and watched them gallop out to a 5-3 lead in the fourth.
It was 7-4 after the fifth with HB Polo adding two more goals in the final chukker. Apes Hill managed a goal of their own in the last period for the 8-6 win.
Mark Tomlinson’s mare Milly was named Best Playing Pony as both teams will now prepare for the opening round of the Gold Cup for the British Open.
La Indiana 8, Thai Polo 6
Earlier in the day it was La Indiana with an 8-6 win over Thai Polo who captured the Subsidiary Bathurst Cup.
Manolo Fernandez Llorente:
Eduardo (Novillo Astrada) called me to play, because Tom Morley had to play the Royal Windsor Cup. So here I am! We fitted very easily as a team; I’ve been playing lots of practices with Eduardo. So it worked really well. Tom will be playing the Gold Cup with them and I am sure they will make it!
Eduardo Novillo Astrada Jr.
I think we didn’t take advantage of the many opportunities we had in the second chukka. HB is a very powerful team and they played really well. Besides the ground was a bit slippery. However, I think we dominated the whole match despite we missed some goals. Our aim was to get ready for the upcoming Gold Cup.
Regarding my plans, once I’m done with the Gold Cup, I will be back to Buenos Aires, then to Colombia to play with Camilo (Bautista)
Mark Tomlimson
It was a very even match. Maybe you couldn’t realise because we scored four goals very quickly; I mean we had a 4-0 but the scoreboard read a 4-2, and they were always very close to us.
I played with Eduardo in England once, but this is the first time we played the four of us together. Manolo and Eduardo share stables and play practices together. I think we fit very well as a team, it really worked.
Apes Hill vs. HB
CASABLANCA LADIES HIGH GOAL
The day at Cirencester featured the Casablanca Ladies High Goal exhibition. The girls played under the brand new ladies handicaps in England.
The match ended with Cirencester Polo’s 4,5-3 win over Combe Farm Wines.
CIRENCESTER POLO: Annabel MacNaugt Davis 9, Marianela Castagnola 8, Nina Clarkin 9, Claire Broughan 6. Total: 29
COMBE FARM WINES: Emma Woodd 6, Tamara Fox 6, Lia Salvo 8, Sarah Wiseman 8. Total: 28
Casablanca Ladies High Goal Match
http://www.pololine.com/?lang=1&sec=3¬e=6832&pag=0&anoB=2015