Half-way through the USPA Gold Cup, two teams stand out. La Dolfina/Scone and Pilot remain unbeaten, and the semi-finals are scheduled for Wednesday 25 March.
More Gold Cup results
These are the matches played since our last update:
- The Dutta Corp 13, Clearwater 12
- Park Place 14, Coca-Cola 8
- La Dolfina/Scone 15, Clinova The Sandbox 11
- The Dutta Corp 11, BTA 10
- Clearwater 14, DUS 12
- La Dolfina/Scone 16, Park Place 13
La Dolfina/Tamera, Pilot and BTA also recorded wins on Sunday. The Dutta Corp, still glowing from their Whitney Cup victory, have won two tight matches in a row, both by a single goal, which says a lot about their composure. Clearwater, meanwhile, have shown they can win a high-scoring game as well as a close one.
Dubai Challenge Cup
On Saturday 14 March, Habtoor beat Jehangiri 7-6.5 in the final of the Dubai Challenge Cup at the Al Habtoor Resort and Polo Club. Habtoor were Mohammed Al Habtoor, Felipe Gallegos, Marcos Panelo and Ariel Ponzi, and Panelo was named MVP, with his mare Condicion taking the best playing pony award. It was the last event of the 2026 Dubai Gold Cup Polo Series season.
A half-goal margin in a final is about as tight as it gets, and it capped a winter in which the Gulf delivered some outstanding polo. Habtoor also won the Ghantoot International Polo Championship in the same period, with Dante Castagnola among the winning side.
Iglehart Cup semi-finals
At the National Polo Center, the NPC 16-Goal series is heading into its third leg. In the Iglehart Cup semi-finals on Saturday 14 March at Valiente Polo Farm, both matches went into extra chukkas. Flying H beat 90210 7-6, with Miguelito Novillo Astrada scoring the golden goal, and Kaia beat Mrs Momma Bear/LW Ranch 13-12, with Torito Ruiz scoring the winner. The final was set for Tuesday 17 March.
What to look for
With a week to go until the Gold Cup semi-finals, bracket placings and goal differences will matter. Pilot and La Dolfina/Scone seem the best bets, but nobody else is out of it, and extra chukkas have become a regular feature. As ever, the horses will be crucial, because the same animals are used again and again over a packed month of matches.
Sources: Polo Times (Gold Cup update), Polo Times (Iglehart semi-finals), Polo Press (Dubai Challenge Cup)
