There was a lively debate amongst the Club Taurino of London contingent in Bar Iglesias after this corrida as to who had produced the best performance today - Diego Urdiales or Pablo Aguado. I was pleased to see the next morning that the bulk of commentators agreed with my assessment- that Aguado, despite winning no ear, was the true triunfador de la tarde.

In truth, assisted by a string of excellent Juan Pedro Domecq bulls (the only poor one being the sixth), Urdiales and Aguado had both produced stunning faenas. But, whereas Aguado’s artistry was based on linked toreo, Urdiales, due to the condition of his bull, had to be content with maximising single passes.

*Diego Urdiales showed how to succeed with single passes*

Diego’s triumph came on his second bull. He’d already produced a fine performance on his first, with terrific verónicas and a media verónica and strong muletazos on each hand that few in the crowd appeared to appreciate. His second bull showed as weak-footed in the opening tercios, falling a number of times but kept in by the president. Here, it seemed, was an invalid bull with a likely short faena. Diego, however, was enthused by the initial passes he obtained with the muleta and went on to construct a faena of individual stylish and close passes, the crowd getting more and more enthusiastic too. He killed with a superb estocada and won an ear, while the bull was dragged out to a division of opinions.

*Pablo Aguado had a bull for linked toreo*

Pablo’s wonderful performance came on his first bull (there was no chance of him doing anything worthwhile with today’s sixth bull, which cut in badly). From out of the blue came a lovely sequence of lances - verónicas, a delantal and a media verónica - each executed slowly. These were followed by chicuelinas as Pablo took the bull to the horse, the picador’s mount very nearly falling on a prone toro in the first encounter. The faena was short, consisting of just four tandas, the first two begun with a molinete before Pablo stuck to the task of moving the bull around his body. The passes were exquisite and muy sevillano - ayudados por alto, trincherillas and kikirikís - with the bull playing its part. A pinchazo cost Aguado the bull’s two ears, and a minority petition after the second-attempt estocada was turned down by the president. Aguado was persuaded to take a vuelta that prolonged his experience of the crowd’s acclaim: the president’s decision to award the bull a vuelta was incomprehensible.

Sebastián Castella was the nominal triunfador de la tarde after cutting one ear on his first bull and taking a vuelta on his second after the president ignored a majority petition. But his was high-standard workmanlike stuff compared to the inspiration demonstrated by his two companions. José Chacón played a starring role in banderillas, walking arrogantly away from each of his well-placed pairs, and also gestured despairingly towards the president when the ear from his jefe’s second bull was not forthcoming.

Thanks to Juan Pedro Domecq and the efforts of the three matadors, this had been a thoroughly entertaining and interesting corrida.

Sevilla, May 8: Two types of artistry

Madrid, May 9: San Isidro’s first day brings Talavante’s sixth Puerta Grande

Sevilla, May 7: A mature Andrés Roca Rey