Bangalore Turf Club offered a stage of fascinating contrasts on Sunday. It’s not often that the rich and the poor feel the same emotions of agony and ecstasy at the same moments, at the same place.
But there it was on Derby Day, squeals and groans of agony, ecstasy and other indecipherable emotions as beasts and men astride them provided a spectacle that drew a massive crowd. It possibly was the largest-ever spectator turnout for a Derby. The regular punters were all there, and so were the neophytes, the plain curious, and those who’d stumbled in, attracted by the hype.
The well-heeled perched on the top tiers, hiding behind dark glasses but those who occupied the lower tiers had no such compunctions — their eyes gave away all the happiness and despair.
Each race begins in the same atmosphere of collective restiveness, a lull. There is silence as the horses take off from the starting gates; feverish anticipation as the horses round the curve, and then an explosion of emotion as they race down the straight. The crowd erupts, fevered prayers begging their favourite horses onward. As they cross the finishing line there are wild cheers and desperate screams. Then again there is again a lull, as if to let the adrenaline settle down.
Bookies make a killingThat only four favourites in nine events eventually won was great news for those who bet against the form book. Still Will, which was available at Rs 1192 for every Rs 10, attracted just two tickets of Rs 20 each. Agony for those who didn’t refute their logic and play a game of chance, for Still Will won over two lengths and an unimaginable return on investment. Much the same story of beating the odds with El Paso (Mumbai Cup Div II), Henrys Secret (Delhi Cup), Silken Thomas (Mumbai Cup Div I), and of course, the biggest winner of them all, Aboline.
