First derby this summer sees low turnout but high excitement in Bengaluru

Ulltra Lounge Derby saw the high society of Bengaluru descend at the Race Course with flair and in finery.
Image used for representational purpose only.
Image used for representational purpose only.

BENGALURU: Just as the previous year’s Derby, the Kingfisher Ultra Lounge was a posh affair as ever. However, the first Derby of this summer season saw a lesser crowd compared to the previous years. The numbers, however, did not dim the atmosphere and enthusiasm of the event.

According to the organisers of the event, last year there were over 20,000 people. They say it is lesser than this figure this time. Exact numbers were, however, not shared at the time of writing this. Unfortunately, organisers were themselves not sure on the cause for the low turnout.

So what’s different this year? The bookmakers at the betting ring, an area for a turf accountant to accept and pay off bets, was finally reinstated after a year gap with an aim to attract more people.

The ring was out of function due to various issues related the functioning of the place. The betting sees a minimum amount of `10 and a limitless maximum.

Speaking to a few attendees at the Ultra Lounge, Joyce Priya, a corporate employee of an MNC felt ecstatic after winning for the first two races. Betting a minimum of `300 and winning within 20 times the amount, she says “This is the third time I am attending the derby and I have won a couple of times before but this time I am happy to have won the first two races.” The latter prefers to attend the summer derby as there are more people to mingle with.

A Bengaluru-based businessman, Dhanush Parekh, who is attending the event for the first time, calls the event “fancy”. “I am looking forward to bet and I am trying to figure out how the system works,” he says. He later informed City Express that he had bet for `20 with fingers crossed.

An advertising employee, Sai Nath, says that he had bet a minimum of `5000 and would like to keep his highest bet undisclosed. “I just bet with the flow and hope for the best,” he says. The betting terminal operator of the event saw a maximum of `20,000 from a single person  and had received an overall of `50,000 from the first three races. “This year the crowd is less and the GST maybe the reason behind it,” she says.

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