The cancellation of the 2020 Grand National due to the coronavirus pandemic has seen the Gordon Elliott trained Tiger Roll denied the chance to better the legendary Red Rum by winning the Aintree spectacular three years running – but he still has the chance to win the virtual version!
Punters old and new throughout the length and breadth of the land who usually a flutter of the world’s greatest steeplechase will still be able to do in the computer generated version which is due to be screened on the first Saturday in April this year.
Here’s our guide to the race, when it’s on, where you can watch it, odds, and how you can get a bet on it.
The Virtual Grand National is a computer simulation that is created by Makers Inspired Entertainment. Their product features all the unique characteristics of the Liverpool venue such as famous fences like Becher’s Brook and The Chair which have made it a must watch race for racegoers all around the world.
Form, and factors such as going and stamina, for the maximum field of 40 runners is fed into a computer which uses algorithms to produce a simulation of how the race will be run and predict what the finishing order will be.
This year’s running will be the fourth Virtual Grand National to be staged. In previous renewals the virtual edition has been highly successful in relation to the live version.
In 2017, the simulation saw Cause Of Causes victorious, with Gordon Elliott’s charge finishing second in the real life contest. Six of the top 10 virtual finishers also finished in the top 10 during that year.
The 2018 virtual running was won by that year’s real victor Tiger Roll, with the simulation matching three of the first five home with the real race. Last year Rathvinden won the Virtual Grand National before finishing third behind Tiger Roll in the big one itself.
Last year’s virtual winner Rathvinden finished a fine third in the flesh and blood running of the race.
This year’s ‘running’ of the Virtual Grand National will go off shortly after 5pm on Saturday, April 4. Racing TV supremo Nick Luck has been drafted in to host once again, with commentary provided by Stewart Machin.
The Virtual Grand National will broadcast live on ITV1, with Racing TV;s Nick Luck anchoring a show that will also feature a “Grand National Race of Champions” featuring legendary winners of the race from bygone years doing battle in a separate computer simulation. Stewart Machin will provide commentary on the Virtual Grand National.
The final field has yet to be confirmed at the time of writing, but is expected to feature the 40 horses and riders considered most likely to have lined up for the real Grand National and prominent in the ante post betting before it was cancelled.
Therefore among those that will likely be bidding to beat the mighty Tiger Roll are leading Irish fancies Acapella Bourgeois, Any Second Now, and Burrows Saint. Among the big hopes for the home team are the Brian Ellison trained Definitly Red along with Walk In The Mill and Kimberlite Candy who finished first and second respectively in the Becher Chase over the National fences at the track in December.
As the final field is not yet known, bookmakers have yet to price up their odds for the 2020 Virtual Grand National. Among them are Paddy Power, whose spokesman Paukl Binfield told CBG that full betting for the ITV1 event will be made available as soon as the final field is confirmed.
In a normal year betting shops would be taking on extra staff due to the huge public interest in having a punt on their Grand National fancy.
With all physical betting shops currently closed, punters wanting a bet on the 2020 Virtual Grand National will need to use online betting sites instead.
There are loads of brilliant free bets and new customer offers available with top and big name bookmakers. So get involved by checking out the full list of our betting partners and their sign-up offers by clicking here.