Dubai storm ahead to win Gold Cup final

23 July 2001

Prince Aly Albwardy’s Dubai team were crowned as British Open Champions for the first time on Sunday, having completely outplayed their opponents 14-9 to win the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup final at Cowdray Park, Sussex.

Invariably first at the ball was the extraordinary 10-handicap Argentine Adolfo Cambiaso, who is regarded as the strongest player in the world. In partnership with nine-goal fellow-countryman Lolo Castagnola, the pair achieved an impressive 5-1 lead by the second chukka.

The match was disappointingly one-sided as opponents Los Tamaraos, despite a strong line-up boasting the 10-handicap Argentinian Bautisto Heguy and Mexican Memo Gracida, failed to contain Cambiaso.

Cambiaso also received the Wildenstein Cup for the best playing pony for Mater, an eight-year-old chesnut mare which he played in the second and fifth chukkas.

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