Polo: Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup draw revealed

With 17 teams entered, in order to ensure a balanced draw, Chris Bethell, Cowdray Park’s polo manager, seeded eight teams.

The top four seeds were the semi-finalists from the Cartier Queen’s Cup 2013 - Cortium/Jaeger-LeCoultre, Dubai, El Remanso and Zacara. The next four seeded teams comprised the losing quarter-finalists: Black Bears, Les Lions, Talandracas and UAE Polo Team.

For the next stage of the draw the remaining nine non-seeded teams - Emlor, Enigma, HB Polo, La Bamba, Luchesse, Salkeld, Sumaya, Thai Polo and Twelve Oaks - were placed in one bucket.

Nine lettered balls were placed in another hat - three balls with the letter A, two with the letter B, two with the letter C and two with the letter D.

As Elsa Corbineau, marketing director of Veuve Clicquot, pulled team names out of the hat, a representative from that team was called forward to pick a lettered ball out of the second bucket denoting the league into which their team was placed.

Bethell said: “With seventeen teams entered, I believe we have created a structure that makes for the fairest and most workable tournament possible.”

Draw: League A - Zacara, Les Lions, Twelve Oaks, Salkeld, HB Polo. League B - Emlor, El Remanso, UAE Polo Team, Luchesse. League C - Dubai, Enigma, Black Bears, La Bamba de Areco. League D - Sumaya, Cortium Jaeger-Le Coultre, Thai Polo, Talandracas.

The Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup for the British Open begins on Tuesday, June 25. Check the Cowdray Park Polo Club website www.cowdraypolo.co.uk. for matches, grounds and timings.

Updates on grounds and times are available daily on 01730 813257.