The final day of the McLaren Cup was full of excitement as Zedan Polo Team defeated Bin Drai Polo to win in a tightly fought match. Meanwhile, Habtoor Polo won the Hildon Cup in a close game. Joanna Andrews reports.
Zedan Polo was crowned winner of the McLaren Cup after beating Bin Drai Polo in a spectacular final that had everyone on the edge of their seats. Zedan clinched the win 10 goals to nine after Argentinian polo star Pablo Mac Donough helped the team fight back from a 3-0 score. No surprise he was named the MVP of the final. Mac Donough was the top scorer of the entire competition with 27 goals.
Earlier in the day Habtoor Polo team beat Mahra, clinching a 10-9 win the Hildon Cup Tournament. It was star player Guillermo Cuitiño, who scored the winning goal in the final seconds of the game giving tournament founder Mohammed Al Habtoor, who is patron of Habtoor Polo, something to smile about.
This year there were three Habtoor teams in the 18-goal handicap competition, as the Habtoor Wolves entered the fold for the first time.
The Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series continues through March with the Julius Baer Gold Cup. The event, now in its seventh year, is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. It is the highest handicap tournament in the Middle East. Next year it will be played at the Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club, an upscale equestrian centre under development in DubaiLand.