1. Me and Mazza
D
riving to a polo match
happens a few times in
your life if you live in the
Cotswolds and cover
equestrian events for
Cotswold Life magazine. But, driving to a
charity polo match that features their Royal
Highnesses, the Princes William and Harry,
in a Maserati as a guest of the event’s
sponsors, had a touch of surrealism about
it.
Held at Cirencester Park, the match – the
Jerudong Trophy – was sponsored by
Maserati, and not only did the invitation
include a three-course lunch and seeing the
princes play polo close up, but also the loan
of a Maserati Ghibli Diesel for the weekend.
This was a detail I chose not to mention
to my esteemed editor, Mike Lowe, until it
was too late as I was worried he might
argue, with some justification, this was not
part of an equestrian journalist’s remit,
never mind an equestrian journalist with
questionable driving skills.
In fact, on finally hearing the news he
tweeted “spending the whole weekend in
prayer”. Whether he was seeking divine
intervention for my safety, the safety of
other motorists or the car’s, in case
Cotswold Life was seized with a massive
repair bill, I didn’t know.
For the petrol heads, it had a three-litre
V6 engine, a top speed of 155mph and does
0-62mph in six seconds. For the non-petrol
heads it was a white, beautiful car with
sleek luxurious lines, a leather interior, and
lots of sophisticated touches.
My inadequacy for the task in hand soon
became apparent on its arrival as, seduced
by its beauty and more important girlie
details like drink holders and shiny
buttons, I forgot to ask two vital questions:
first, how to start the beast and, second,
how to alter the seat.
It was a slightly different creature to my
trusty seven-year-old Nissan Micra and,
after a few anxious tries, it was time to call
in the cavalry, aka deputy editor Candia
McKormack. Together, we nervously
jabbed the start button and before long
realised touching the brake pedal at the
same time was the magical ingredient.
With the car at last in ‘go’ mode, it was
time to take her out. Tentatively, we put
her into ‘drive’ and prepared to speed off to
visit everyone I knew in Cheltenham, and
to wave regally at those I didn’t. Yes, we
were actually moving, we were cooking on
gas… we were doing 10-12 miles an hour.
And the other question I forgot to ask?
Well at five-feet-nothing, I was struggling
to see over the steering wheel and reach
the pedals. A detour back to the flat
allowed me to stock up on some cushions
to bolster my height and leg length until I
worked out the all-electric front seat
adjustment system. Come on, that could
wait till the morning for I had places to go
and people to see in my all-new super car, I
had named ‘Mazza’.
The man that delivered the car promised
me it was easy to drive, and he was right.
She was a dream; she balanced my faults,
righted my wrongs, and thanks to the
reversing camera made parking a doddle. It
was like riding a Grand Prix dressage horse
that had been crossed with a racehorse; an
extremely well-schooled individual that
was responsive to every touch yet had the
explosive acceleration of a fit, highly-tuned
thoroughbred.
On the morning of the polo match I could
not resist the opportunity of testing that
acceleration. Feeling confident, I flipped on
the sport mode, put the foot on the gas
(responsibly) and waited for launch off.
It was almost instantaneous, and
seconds later big grins took over our faces
as she effortlessly caught the car in front,
and the boy racers who had been
circulating vanished in our wake. Forget
engines purring, Mazza roared with delight.
Even I knew this car is in a class of her own.
The smiles lasted until we got to the
polo, until someone came from Maserati to
pick her up and park her with the rest of
the sleek Maseratis. Then embarrassment
was our main emotion as their eyes fell
onto the back seat and the three rather
fluffy cushions residing there.
“We might put these in a boot…” came
the response with a smile.
The whole day was magical, and to cap it
off, to the delight of our fantastic and
friendly hosts, Team Maserati won and the
team’s captain, the Duke of Cambridge,
took most valuable player.
Great day, great company, great polo,
great weekend, and a great car – just a pity I
had to give her back; do you think they
would notice if I gave them my Micra
instead? But then again, for the sake of
Cotswold Life readers, maybe I should stick
to horses. At least I kind-of know what I am
talking about with them! n
Prices for a new a Maserati Ghibli Diesel start
from £48,835. www.maserati.com
CotswoldMotoring
cotswoldlife.co.uk COTSWOLD LIFE August 2014 225
Debbie Graham goes on the drive of her life
A Maserati car leads the players on to the pitch at the Royal Charity Polo during the Maserati Jerudong
Trophy at Cirencester Park Polo Club on June 15, 2014, in Cirencester. The charity polo match is supported by
La Martina and Maserati and benefits Prince William, Duke of Cambridge’s charity Centrepoint
Debbie Graham with her
Maserati Ghibli Diesel