Tue 2nd Jun 2026The Cartier Queen’s Cup Round UpContenders Emerging as Quarter Final Race Intensifies
The Cartier Queen’s Cup is entering its decisive stages, with Dubai Polo Team, Balanz Capital, Aureus and La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal establishing themselves as the leading contenders as the race for the Quarter Finals reaches its climax.
Dubai remain the benchmark in Group Two, becoming the first team to record four wins from four matches. Barto Castagnola has once again been central to their success, while the return of Antonio Heguy has added further firepower as Tariq Albwardy’s side continues its unbeaten run.
Balanz Capital have enjoyed perhaps the most impressive run of any team in recent days. Consecutive victories over Akasha and defending champions Park Place have confirmed Claudio Porcel’s side as genuine title contenders. Eighteen-year-old Lorenzo Chavanne has emerged as one of the stars of the tournament, forming a formidable partnership with Camilo ‘Jeta’ Castagnola.
In Group One, Aureus and La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal have now joined Dubai on four wins from four matches. Aureus have shown remarkable resilience throughout the competition, most recently producing a dramatic comeback against White Crane. Trailing by as many as five goals and still two behind entering the final chukka, Aureus forced overtime before Jake Coventry struck the golden goal to secure a 10-9 victory and preserve their unbeaten record.
La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal have looked increasingly dominant with every outing. Poroto Cambiaso, Simon Prado and Felix Esain continue to impress as one of the tournament’s most effective combinations, while every member of the team contributed on the scoresheet during their convincing victory over Jehangiri Polo. Their fourth successive win further underlined their status as one of the favourites for the title.
Black Bears continued their strong campaign with a dramatic last-gasp victory over Jindal Steel/La Dolfina before suffering their first defeat of the tournament in overtime against Ferne Park. That golden goal success proved vital for Ferne Park’s own Quarter Final ambitions.
Elsewhere, Gaston have strengthened their position considerably. Following victory over White Crane earlier in the week, Jean-Paul Luksic’s side secured a crucial 10-7 win over Cibao La Pampa/Murus Sanctus to record their third victory and move a significant step closer to the knockout stages.
There were also breakthrough wins for Ojo Caliente and Shoreline. Ojo Caliente finally converted a series of strong performances into points with victory over Jindal Steel/La Dolfina, while Shoreline edged Sujan Indian Tigers in a thrilling extra-time contest to secure their first win of the competition.
With Dubai, Aureus and La Dolfina/Marques de Riscal all unbeaten and Balanz Capital continuing to build momentum, the leading contenders are beginning to emerge. However, with Quarter Final places still on the line, Park Place, Black Bears, Gaston, Ferne Park and several others remain firmly in contention heading into the final days of league competition.
With qualification battles intensifying across both groups, the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the league phase before attention turns to next weekend’s Quarter Finals.
Photograph: An emotional tribute paid to the late Sunjay Kapur as Aureus win The Sunjay Kapur Trophy. By The Art of Polo
Thu 21st May 2026And We’re Off The Cartier Queen’s Cup is officially underway
The weather’s heating up and so is the action. The Cartier Queen’s Cup has burst into life with six high-quality opening matches producing drama, overtime thrillers and several standout performances across Guards Polo Club.
On Day 1, Tuesday 19 May, La Dolfina/ Marqués de Riscal edged White Crane 13-12 in arguably the game of the opening rounds, with Poroto Cambiaso scoring the winner on the bell after a thrilling back-and-forth contest against Pablo Pieres. Simon Prado was instrumental early for La Dolfina/ Marques riscal before White Crane stormed back into the lead, only for Cambiaso and Prado to wrestle momentum back late in the game. Aureus defeated Signet / Segavas 17-11 behind sharp shooting from Diego Cavanagh and Teodoro Lacau, who combined for 14 goals, while Jake Coventry made history as the first Zambian player to compete in the Cartier Queen’s Cup. Jehangiri also made a strong opening statement, comfortably beating Gaston 14-7 after establishing a commanding 9-3 half-time advantage.
On the second day, UAE Polo Team held off a resurgent Kazak side to secure victory after Kazak fought back from 6-2 down to level the scores in the third chukka. Hugo Taylor and Juan Martin Nero proved key for HH Sheikha Maitha’s side. Dubai then edged Ferne Park in another thriller, with Barto Castagnola scoring the decisive goal in the closing seconds after Facundo Pieres had inspired Ferne Park back into contention. The final game saw Black Bears narrowly overcome Ojo Caliente in a fast, evenly matched encounter. Facundo Sola kept Ojo Caliente alive throughout with excellent shooting, but strong teamwork from Tommy and Benjamin Panelo ultimately secured the win for Black Bears.
The action continues with match ups between Shoreline and Akasha followed by Park Place vs Sujan Indian Tigers.
Photograph: Talk about getting out of the saddle. By Art of Polo
Tue 19th May 2026Balanz Capital/ La Hechicera’s Debut Win Dominant Victory in The Trippetts Challenge
It was a big day on Saturday 16 May as the second of the first two high goal tournaments to wrap up on the same day saw Balanz Capital/ La Hechicera produce a dominant display to defeat defending champions Gaston 17-6 and claim the 2026 Trippetts Challenge title at Cowdray Park Polo Club.
The tournament featured six teams up to the 22 goal level, with the Final taking place on the historic Midhurst grounds after a week of tightly contested matches which paid testament to the strength and equality of all the high goal teams involved.
Gaston entered the match hoping to retain the title they won in 2025, but from the opening chukka Balanz Capital/ La Hechicera imposed themselves on both the game and the scoreboard. While Gaston remained within reach in the early exchanges, the match swung decisively before half-time as Balanz Capital/ La Hechicera delivered a devastating run through the third and fourth chukkas.
Led by the outstanding Lorenzo Chavanne (winner of this year’s USPA Gold Cup and U.S Open Polo Championship), who was later named Most Valuable Player, the white-shirted side produced six unanswered goals across the two middle chukkas, completely shutting out Gaston and opening up a commanding 10-3 lead by the end of the fourth. Chavanne’s pace and attacking precision combined perfectly with the creativity and firepower of Camilo ‘Jeta’ Castagnola, while Ned Hine provided structure and control throughout.
Despite efforts from David Stirling and Beltrán Laulhé to pull Gaston back into contention, Balanz Capital/ La Hechicera maintained complete control in the second half, extending their advantage steadily before closing out an emphatic 17-6 victory.
The Best Playing Pony Award went to V8 Back Home, played by Lorenzo Chavanne.
In the Subsidiary Final, Ojo Caliente defeated White Crane.
The Trippetts Challenge Final Teams:
Balanz Capital La Hechicera (22): Pablo Galante / Claudio Porcel (0), Ned Hine (5), Lorenzo Chavanne (7) & Camilo Castagnola (10)
Gaston (22): Jean-Paul Luksic (0), Beltrán Laulhé (7), David Stirling (8) & Cruz Heguy (7)
Photograph: Balanz Capital/ La Hechicera raise The Trippetts Challenge trophy high. By Mark Beaumont
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