Cartier Queen’s Cup Semi-Finals
La Dolfina Great Oaks 13 - 9 King Power
Talandracas 16 - 11 Black Bears
After three competitive and challenging weeks, the 19 teams in the 2024 edition of the Cartier Queen’s Cup are now down to just two. Talandracas and La Dolfina Great Oaks will go head-to-head in Sunday’s prestigious final on The Queen’s Ground at Guards Polo Club.
Both semi-finals followed a similar thread. The winning teams were in lead from the first chukka, did not relinquish this position at any time and each squad fielded a standout player in teams that were already teeming with talent. The young Adolfo Cambiaso Jnr, known to all as Poroto, was the incredible player for La Dolfina Great Oaks. He was everywhere in this game today, taking the ball through traffic with ease and playing with a poise way beyond his 18 years. A great example of his calmness under pressure came in the fourth chukka. He fired a big hit down the field, then circumnavigated all the other players to pick up his own pass and take it to goal. Remarkable.
Well supported by Diego Cavanagh at all times, this consistency of play ensured La Dolfina Great Oaks were ahead 8-3 at half-time. Pablo MacDonough scored the majority of goals for King Power, but this team, who had so impressed in their quarter-final tussle against Dubai, struggled to hold back the goal rush off the stick of Cambiaso.
So after six thrilling chukkas, delivered at a breathtaking pace, the La Dolfina Great Oaks patron, Dillon Bacon, received the Kerry Packer Trophy from Club Chairman, Lt Col Sean O’Dwyer. Not surprisingly, Cambiaso was rewarded with the Most Valuable Player prize and also received the Cartier Best Playing Pony prize for Bam Bam. This pony, which had been bought from the Chilean International Jaime Huidobro, was played by Cambiaso for a couple of minutes in three chukkas today.
Polito Pieres was the standout player in the second match, Talandracas against Black Bears on The Queen’s Ground. Today’s performance reminded everyone why Polito had been named the Most Valuable Player in last year’s final with Murus Sanctus. He managed to outrun everyone– no mean feat when you consider his opponents included the fellow 10-goal Facundo Pieres, a five-times winner of the Queen’s Cup.
There were plenty of characteristics from the first match on show this afternoon. Talandracas were 8-5 up after three chukkas. Of course one should never discount the Pieres brothers, Facundo and Gonzalo, but this was Talandracas’s day. Polito was brilliantly supported by Alejandro Muzzio – his team-mate in the 2023 final – and Rosendo Torreguitar, delivering both great passes and some excellent defensive play.
Such a performance not only earned Talandracas a ticket to Sunday’s final but also the Hubert Perrodo Trophy. This was presented by Hubert’s daughter, Nathalie Perrodo Samani and Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK. Hugues Carmignac received the trophy while his father, Edouard, winner of the Queen’s Cup in 2011, joined the team for the Best Playing Pony prize. This went to Aventura, who had been played by Polito in the first and sixth chukka. This player also received the Most Valuable Player prize thanks to such an outstanding performance.
Cartier Queen’s Cup Final - Sunday 16 June
11am Sub Final for the Cartier Trophy: La Dolfina Scone v Cibao La Pampa.
3pm Final for the Cartier Queen’s Cup: Talandracas v La Dolfina Great Oaks.
Images copyright Pablo Ramirez
