Play to start in two weeks time
On Monday 8 May, Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK, unveiled The Cartier Queen’s Cup Draw 2017. The President’s Draw in the Clubhouse at Guards Polo Club was a hotbed of all the most important figures in the English high goal season, as the teams, their managers and supporters eagerly awaited the results of the draw for the 10 teams entered into the 2017 Cartier Queen’s Cup which will define the start of their UK summer season. Four seeded teams were drawn first – La Indiana, RH Polo, King Power Foxes and Talandracas, followed by the remaining six teams.
League One: La Indiana, Talandracas, Sommelier, El Remanso, Monterosso
League Two: RH Polo, King Power Foxes, La Bamba De Areco, Sifani, Murus Sanctus
This year is an open competition, with the world number one Adolfo Cambiaso, changing teams for the first time in 17 years. 2017 sees him in action for Ben Soleimani’s RH Polo team ensuring this team was seeded for the draw in the absence of Cambiaso’s previous team, and current holders of the trophy, Dubai. The three other seeded teams are the 2015 winners, King Power Foxes, featuring a line-up of Top Srivaddhanaprabha, Gonzalo and Facundo Pieres. They are yet to name their fourth player, but rumour has it, they’ll pick from the young British ranks. Michael Bickford’s La Indiana, last year’s runners-up, will no doubt be hoping to go one better in 2017, while Edouard Carmignac’s Talandracas are aiming to repeat their 2011 victory.
Within the remaining six teams are three new names to the line-up, Corinne Ricard’s Murus Sanctus, Alessandro Bazzoni’s Monterosso and George Hanbury’s Sommelier teams.
This year, the world’s best teams have a strong collection of British talent, from the likes of Matt Perry and Jack Hyde, to the all-Brit El Remanso with Charlie Hanbury at the helm.
Meanwhile, Jean Francois Decaux’s La Bamba de Areco is making a welcome return to the tournament, as is Hilali Noordeen’s Sifani side, Sub Finalists in 2016.
Matches start on Tuesday 23 May and three weeks of 22 goal polo will conclude with the Final, historically played in front of HM The Queen, on Sunday 18 June at Guards Polo Club. Click here for the official schedule.
The Cartier Queen’s Cup Teams:
El Remanso (21): C. Hanbury (4), O. Cudmore (5), J. Beim (6) & J. Harper (6)
Murus Sanctus (22): C. Ricard (0), H. Ulloa (10), F. Sola (8) & D. Van Reenen (4)
La Indiana (22): M. Bickford (1), N. Roldan (7), A. Merlos (8) & L. Tomlinson (6)
RH Polo(22): B. Soleimani (0), T. Beresford (4), A. Cambiaso (10) & R. de Andrade (8)
Monterosso Polo Team (22): A. Bazzoni (1), I. Toccalino (8), S. Toccalino (8) & M. Perry (5)
La Bamba De Areco (22): J.F. Decaux (0), D. Cavanagh (8), C. Laprida Jnr (8) & R. Rueda Jnr (6)
Sifani (21): H. Noordeen (0), J. del Carril (6), J. De Lusarreta (7) & G. Terrera (8)
Talandracas Polo Team (22): E. Carmignac (0), G. Caset (9), D. Stirling (10) & J. Hyde (3)
King Power Foxes (22): A. Srivaddhanaprabha (1), TBC (1), G. Pieres (10) & F. Pieres (10)
Sommelier (22): G. Hanbury (3), J. Gris Zavaleta (7), F. Mannix Jnr (8) & A. White (4)
Photograph: Laurent Feniou of Cartier with Lt Col Sean O’Dwyer, Vice President Guards Polo Club. By ©www.imagesofpolo.com/Courtesy of Guards Polo Club