It’s been confirmed the Grand National will go ahead, albeit in virtual form
After the racing was cancelled earlier in the month, many pondered the future of the Grand National. However, with the Aintree meeting now officially off, organisers have turned to technology in a bid to save the day.
That's right, a virtual Grand National will take place on the same day that the real-life event was supposed to, and bookmakers have released odds for it. The Virtual Grand National odds can be found here.
When is it?
ITV is set to show the virtual Grand National on April 4th at 17:00. The race will feature 40 runners who were considered the most likely to take part and the race outcome will be determined by ‘special algorithms’.
Who are the previous winners?
This is not the first time the virtual race has taken place however, as it was first tried in 2017 when the algorithms had some incredibly close calls.
Cause of Causes won the first Virtual Grand National in 2017 before later coming in second place by four-and-a-half lengths in the real race.
In 2018, the algorithm proved its money worth when it correctly predicted Tiger Roll's first Grand National win. And in 2019 it outputted some more great predictions calling three of the first five race finishers.
Of course, this year will be different as we will have nothing to compare the virtual racing to, but, the computer’s past results are a testament to its accuracy and will certainly go a long way to fill the void left behind with the current lack of racing.
What are the odds?
The odds for the Virtual Grand National have been released by several bookmakers, with more to follow. They can be found on our Virtual Grand National market here.
Prices will not change for the race, and are fixed at the same odds across all firms. There will be a maximum bet of £10 per horse per customer, or £10 each-way per horse.
ITV will also be airing a special race aptly named “Race of Champions” Pitting some of the most Iconic names against each other including the three-time winner, Red Rum and two-time winner Tiger Roll, who was expected to pick up his third Grand national win at Aintree this year.
Although we don't have odds of the Virtual Grand National yet, bookmakers have priced up the Race of Champions. The illustrious Red Rum is 1/2 to beat current defending champ, Tiger Roll, who is 6/4 in the straight match bet.
The Virtual Grand National is being televised to provide a bit of light relief for racing fans during testing times. If you're watching the race just for fun like most, you could put together a sweepstake with your mates using our sweepstake kit.
