- The 2020 Randox Health Grand National was replaced by a virtual race on April 4th
- The event drew an estimated TV audience of almost 5 million at its peak
- A grand total of £2.6 million was raised for NHS Charities Together
The 2020 Virtual Grand National proved to be a hugely popular affair on Saturday afternoon with a big TV audience tuning in to see if the ‘virtual Tiger Roll’ could emulate the success enjoyed by his ‘real’ self and finish first past the post.
In the end, the two-time winner could only manage fourth position and the bookies paid out on the winner Potters Corner with all profits from losing bets being donated to NHS Charities Together.
The Virtual Grand National proved to be extremely popular with the viewing public with an estimated TV audience of 4.8 million tuning in for the actual race itself.
Potters Corner finished first past the post and trainer Christian Williams was one of many cheering his runner on to victory. He said: “There was great excitement in the house. The children were on their toy horses and it was great watching the race and seeing our horse come through to win.”
The Virtual Grand National involved the forty runners which would most likely have taken part in the real race had it gone ahead on Saturday afternoon. This is the fourth time that the virtual race has taken place and it has proven to be extremely accurate in the past.
2021 Virtual Grand National Placings
1st – Potters Corner
2nd – Walk In The Mill
3rd – Any Second Now
4th – Tiger Roll
5th – Burrows Saint
All horse racing in the UK has been suspended indefinitely following the continued spread of the coronavirus pandemic, however there is hope that some racing may be able to take place behind closed doors next month depending on how the current situation develops.
