Jeta Castagnola fires up to give Dubai 6th Gold Cup win at Cowdray Park

Prior to Dubai and La Dolfina Great Oaks facing off in the Gold Cup final for the British Open Championship at Cowdray Park, Jeta Castagnola was asked by Pololine TV which horse he would choose from those played by his cousin, Poroto Cambiaso. The Dubai Captain answered simply “the whole string”. As it turned out, he did not need any extra horsepower to clock up eight goals – seven from the field – for Dubai’s 11-3 landslide victory.

The TV cameras cut repeatedly to the end zone, to see Jeta’s father and previous Gold Cup winner with Dubai, Lolo Castagnola, pacing and smoking. Last year, Lolo, who is married to Poroto’s aunt Camila, (Adolfo Cambiaso’s sister) watched their son Barto take Gold and MVP. This year it was Jeta’s turn to rule the podium, his mount Alberta Gulfstream, winning best playing pony while he took the coveted best player award.

Asked what his advice has been to the next generation after the win, Lolo said: “I always say to the boys to watch Adolfo, the way he’s playing – we need to play like that.”

Eighteen teams competed for the coveted Gold Cup trophy, which Dubai had won five times previously but had missed out in the last two years coming in as runners up. Dubai led 6-2 at halftime after Poroto – the youngest player to earn a 20-goal handicap when he turned 17 – uncharacteristically hit two penalties wide of the post.

In contrast, Rashid Albwardy’s Dubai could do nothing but score with Antonio Heguy and Rufino Laulhé playing strong supporting roles to Jeta’s star performance.

It is not as if Poroto has been short of victories of late. He has reached the final of every tournament he has played in so far this year and took back to back victories with La Dolfina – playing against his father – at the National Polo Center in Florida last winter to win the USPA Gold Cup and US Open Polo Championship.

Today, though, was not his day and his teammates, Diego Cavanagh, Dillon Bacon and Kian Hall also struggled to make headway against Jeta’s offense. Lolo found the victory nostalgic. “I remember when we won with Dubai and [Rashid Albwardy] was three years old and running around in blue pajamas,” he said of winning the Gold Cup with Ali Alwardy, Rashid’s father. “It’s crazy to now see him [Rashid] winning it.”