Another high goal season is on the horizon in Dubai, the emirate that has positioned itself as one of the top polo destinations in the world. The Gold Cup Series will be played for a second consecutive year in Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club, a unique place with three first-class polo fields, a polo school, and the prestigious St Regis hotel, which lies between the two polo fields.
Several of the best polo players in the world will compete in the 2018 series, many of which have just finished playing the Argentine Open. Among those players is Argentine Open champion Pablo Mac Donough, who with will try and reclaim the Gold Cup title he won with Zedan in 2017. Dubai will also welcome Hurlingham Open winner Polito Pieres, who will play the series for the first time.
Alfredo Cappella returns to play for Abu Dhabi, organisation that supported his team La Albertina in the Triple Crown. Fran Elizalde, Jero del Carril, and Ezequiel Martínez Ferrario, among others will also play. Lastly, it will be exciting to see two of polo’s rising stars Camilo and Bartolito Castagnola, playing for Desert Palm.
All matches for the Dubai Gold Cup Series will be streamed live exclusively via Pololine.TV
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series was founded by Mohammed Al Habtoor in 2009 and has now become a series of tournaments with international repute in the Middle East. Year after year, a large number of guests, local celebrities and outstanding sportsmen head to the series, which is under the patronage of Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series is played under Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) rules, and the umpiring is under strict supervision from the English organisation. Both the Dubai Gold Cup and the Silver Cup form part of the international circuit of the World Polo Tour.
Fixtures Dubai Gold Cup Series 2017:
– Silver Cup: Jan 26 – Feb 9 (18 goals). 30.
– Masters: Feb 10 – 15 (14 goals).
– Gold Cup: Feb 16 – Mar 9 (18 goals). 80 for the winner.
– Challenge Cup: Mar 14 – 23 (18 goals).
– Dubai Cup: April 6 – 13 (8-10 goals).
Teams:
– Habtoor Polo Team: Mohammed Al Habtoor 0, Jack Hyde 4, Bautista Ortiz de Urbina 6, Francisco Elizalde 8.
– UAE Polo Team: HH Shaikha Maitha 0, Pablo Avalos 2, Matías Benoit 6, Polito Pieres 9.
– Desert Palm Team: Rashid Al Bwardy 2, Jeta Castagnola 4, Bartolito Castagnola 6, Santiago Laborde 6.
– Mahra Polo Team: Rashid Al Habtoor 0, Benjamín Urquiza 5, Isidro Strada 6, Jero del Carril 6.
– Zedan Polo Team: Amr Zedan 0, Tomás Panelo 3, Martín Gándara 5, Pablo Mac Donough 10.
– Wolves Polo Team: Habtoor Al Habtoor 1, Matias Diego González Miguel 2, Ezequiel Martínez Ferrario 8, Manuel Crespo 7.
– Abu Dhabi Polo: Faris Al Yabhouni 0, Santiago Gómez Romero 3, Santiago Cernadas 6, Alfredo Cappella 8.
Umpires: Tim Bown, Peter Wright, Daniel Boudou, Rafael Silva.