POLO BY THE SEA – NO SNOBS PLEASE!IT was a snob-free zone when the Sport of Kings met the man-in-the-street for the Fifth Annual Polo By The Sea tournament staged by the Sydney Polo Club at Narrabeen on Sunday .Families rubbed shoulders with celebrities, corporates and some of the country’s most handsome and dashing Polo players in a venue that seamlessly merged boot and blanket picnics with swish fully-catered corporate marquees.Expanding the Sydney Polo Club’s concept of equal-entertainment-for-all, families were treated to prime viewing positions, free fun for the kids (pony rides, facepaint, castles etc), low-cost gourmet food, access to the SPC ‘Club’ Marquee, a sensational jazzband from Australian Children’s Music Foundation, and more than $10,000 in spectator prizes.Polo by the Sea reinforced its reputation as Australia’s leading Polo tournament with more than $5 million of prime horseflesh, a record crowd of 6500+ and massive sponsorship support - more than 30 corporate marquees hosting some 3200 guests. The Funds from this year’s event went to Cure Cancer Australia with bonus donations from Mortgage Choice ($5000) and the two winning teams (Millamalong and Winten Property Group, which donated their prize pool ($4000).‘The ferocity of the shoot-out for the two finals cements the reputation of this high-goal tournament as the premier Spring Carnival event,’ said Mortgage Choice CEO, Paul Lahiff. ‘And at the end of the day, we get enormous satisfaction from diverting the proceeds to a worthwhile charity like Cure Cancer. These funds direct critical cashflow to the very root of medical research into our most-feared disease,’The Charity objectives flushed-out a star-studded line-up of celebrities and VIPs to support the cause. They included Holly Brisley (Channel 9), Stephen Hunt ( Neighbours), Tracey Spicer (Channel 10), Jane Luedecke and Bruce Adams (Rugby World Cup), Robbie Cranfield (Fashion Designer), Nic And Camilla Cerrone (Fashion Jewellers), Charles Billich (Triple-Olympic and WorldCup Artist), Don Spencer (Aust. Children’s Music Foundation), Belita Walker (Ella Bache), Dr Darryl Hodgkinson (Operation Restore Hope), Gino Butti (Italian Institute of Culture), Sun-gyu Bang (Korean Consul), Bronwyn Bishop (MP)John & Gail Marshall (Sportscraft),Jack Cowan (Hungry Jacks), Marcus Blackmore (Blackmores), Gary & Susan Rothwell (Winten Property Group), Greg & Katie Crone (Crone Nation Architects), Graham & Jana Pickles (Burrawang Cattle Station) amd Patricia Giles (Mayor-Pittwater).On the field, the country’s most daring and accomplished players fought a take-no-prisoners contest for the coveted Mortgage Choice Charity Sydney Gold Cup (won by Millamalong) and the D.F.H. Packer Cup (Winten Property Group). Robert Ballard took the Curran Cup for Best and Fairest Player. The Players list billboarded a raft of Australian business achievers including Peter Higgins (Co-Founder/Director Mortgage Choice), Wal Ashton (Grazing & Lifestyle Properties), James Burkitt (Director Pinnacle Master Fund),David Rothwell (GM-Winten Property Group), Earle Herbert (Multiplex) and Craig McIntosh (X-Cite Development)‘The tearaway success of this tourney has confirmed Sydney Polo Club as the country’s leading Polo promoter,’ said Vice President Rob Luck. ‘Standby for some exciting news of spectacular developments that will re-shape the future of Polo in Australia.’