Hidalgo gives Orange sparkle in polo opener

Team Orange jumpstarted the 2008 polo season with an 18-3 rout of the Blues yesterday in the six-chukker high goal event of the Past Presidents’ Cup before a sizeable weekend crowd at the Manila Polo Club.

Argentine Tomas Diez Hidalgo unloaded seven goals including four in the last three chukkers that capped a dominating performance for the Orange squad.

Augustine Foncueva and Gusi Aguirre fired four goals apiece while Aguirre’s brother Cole accounted for the remaining two goals, all coming in a six-goal barrage in the fourth chukker that sent the game out of reach.

The Blues’ Anthony Filamor, Hiro Suzuki and Jake and Iñigo Zobel gallantly tried to put up a fight but could only muster a disappointing three-goal effort.

Filamor, Jake Zobel and Suzuki accounted for the Blues’ goals total in this event played before past presidents, ambassadors and the rich and famous.

Earlier, the Golds’ Jerome Hernandez, Alfie Araneta, Jose Constantino and Manot Montilla downed the Blacks’ Santi Juban, Sonny Borromeo, Jay de Jesus and Santi Elizalde, 8-6, in the four-chukker low goal event.

Araneta and Montilla each had three goals while Hernandez and Constantino added a goal apiece to lead the Goals to victory.

The second leg resumes next week with the William Cameron Forbes Cup at the same venue. – Joey Villar