HUBLOT POLO GOLD CUP 2023:

LAPLACETTE IN HIS BACKYARD … ONCE AGAIN!

Polo is a team sport. Wearing the colors of Gstaad, Sébastien Le Page and his Argentinian accomplices are the clear proof. On Sunday afternoon they mastered perfectly their game on this very special polo field of the Saanen airport allowing them to win the Hublot Polo Gold Cup for the second year running.

Martincito Aguerre’s genius was not enough today. Indeed, Raul Laplacette’s teamplay proved unbeatable. Despite once again scoring eleven goals (that’s Team Gstaad’s daily rate since last Thursday!), it was also the fierce defense of the defending champions that made the difference. The Hublot players were never able to find a way through their opponents’ defensive wall. And if they did, Raul Laplacette was there to calmly steal the ball from the impudent attacker. Freeing up space, the men from Gstaad could quietly move forward and score on the other side. The only solution for Martin Aguerre Jr. was to try his luck from far, far away. He succeeded twice and scored his other three goals from penalties. Five goals was all the team could score today.

Second title in two years: the polo field at Saanen airport is now the backyard of Raul Laplacette, most valuable player of the final and top scorer of the tournament with 17 goals: “On this kind of field, you have to move forward with the ball, attack, attack, attack, and keep attacking. As it is a smaller field than usual, you always have to try and get close to the goal to have a chance of scoring. In any case, that was our tactic. But it was also thanks to our organization that we were able to succeed: good players and fast horses. These are essential to play good polo.”

A Swiss organization set up at the Polo Park Zurich by team captain Sébastien Le Page. “This second victory is all the more pleasing because it’s practically the same team than last year, which proves that the organization is working very well”, rejoices Le Page. “It’s a real pleasure because we’ve been working on it all year round for several years. So I’m both very tired and very happy. I’m going to be able to savour this victory and drink some champagne, because I’ve not been been drinking for the last two weeks.” The French captain also paid tribute to his star player: “Raul is incredible, he controls the game so much that it seems like he’s doing nothing, when in fact he’s everywhere and scoring an incredible number of goals. I think he’s one of the best players on the planet”. For sure, on the Gstaad field, he could be a 10-goaler!

The match for third place was much tighter, with Kielder Agro Group taking their first win of the tournament thanks to two fiery opening chukkers: 5-0, an advantage they maintained by battling hard right to the end: only one goal scored in the last two periods, while Gstaad Palace scored five in their turn. Final score: 6-5.

This 26th edition of the Hublot Polo Gold Cup met with unanimous approval this year, with a perfectly tested and relaxed organization, technically accomplished with an excellent field, a very friendly reception and, above all, particular attention paid to the well-being of the horses, well-looked-after by the new refereeing rules, who, despite the weather, appeared to be in particularly good condition and happy to play.

Teams and progressions

THIRD PLACE

Team GSTAAD: Sébastien Le Page (hcp 0), Facundo Kelly (hcp 4, 2 goals), Francisco Fucci (hcp 4, 2 goals), Raul Laplacette (hcp 6, 7 goals)

Team HUBLOT: Jürgen Schröder (hcp 0), Juan Correa (hcp 3), Matias Gonzalez (hcp 4), Martin Aguerre Jr. (hcp 7, 5 goals)

Progression GSTAAD: 3/1 – 6/2 – 7/3 – 11/5

FINAL

Team KIELDER AGRO GROUP: Cedric Schweri (hcp 0), Joao Novaes (hcp 5, 4 goals), Tomi Astelarra (hcp 3), Francisco Menendez (hcp 6, 2 goals)

Team GSTAAD PALACE: Peter Cromm (hcp 0), Pedro Fernandez Llorente (hcp 5, 2 goals), Teo von Neufforge (hcp 5), Segundo Condesse (hcp 4, 3 goals)

Press release Hublot Polo Gold Cup | Photo: Most valuable player of the final, top scorer of the tournament with 17 goals, Argentina’s Raul Laplacette is definitely in his backyard on the Gstaad airport field © R&B Presse / P.Renauldon

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