Triple Crown Begins Next Week
The first of the Argentine high goal Triple Crown tournaments, the Tortugas Open is scheduled to begin on Tuesday 27 September. Six teams in two leagues will compete for The Fernet Cup, which is due to conclude on Saturday 15 October. Only two teams remain unaltered from the 2015 line-up in this year’s edition, namely La Dolfina, also the only 40 goal team in the tournament and Ellerstina, the second highest handicap team on 39 goals with the Pieres quartet. La Aguada Las Monjitas, is a new team configuration for this season, entirely composed of Novillo Astradas. Whilst Coronation Cup winner and Hurlingham Polo 1875 brand ambassador, Fred Mannix Jnr, has entered again but with 10 goaler Guillermo ‘Sapo’ Caset replacing Cristian Laprida and with newly rated 10 goaler Hilario Ulloa, Alegria’s handicap has gone up to 37. The Heguy’s Chapaleufú doesn’t feature in the draw, leaving Ignacio Heguy to take a spot on a new team entry of El Paraiso with Agustin ‘Tincho’ Merlos, Sebastian and Ignacio Toccalino. Washington, the lowest handicapped team in the tournament who have failed to make the Final of the Jockey Club Open complete the team entries.
The first games will be between La Aguada Las Monjitas and El Paraiso on Tuesday 27 September and on the same day Alegria face Washington. Ellerstina and La Dolfina will each play the winner and the loser of each of these first games in the days that follow. Click here for a schedule of the games and full team listings.
Zone A
El Paraiso (35): Agustin Merlos (9), Ignacio Toccalino (9), Ignacio Heguy (9) & Santiago Toccalino (8)
La Aguada Las Monjitas (35): Alejandro Novillo Astrada (8), Eduardo Novillo Astrada (9), Miguel Novillo Astrada (9) & Ignacio Novillo Astrada (9)
La Dolfina (40): Adolfo Cambiaso (10), David Stirling (10), Pablo MacDonough (10) & Juan Martin Nero (10)
Zone B
Alegria (37): Guillermo Caset (10), Hilario Ulloa (10), Lucas Monteverde (9) & Fred Mannix (8)
Ellerstina (39): Facundo Pieres (10), Gonzalito Pieres (10), Pablo Pieres (10) & Nicolas Pieres (9)
Washington (33): Diego Cavanagh (8), Ezequiel Ferrario (8), Facundo Sola (8) & Alfredo Cappella (9)
Photograph: The 2015 winners of the Tortugas Open, La Dolfina. By©www.imagesofpolo.com/ Eduardo Grunberg