If ever there was a year that was better best forgotten it just has to be 2020. Who amongst us doesn’t want to slam the door shut on this unexpected horror show of a year? Businesses closed, elderly and vulnerable shielding, hospitals spilling over, boozers turned into ghost towns, the list goes on. The only saving grace in all of this, is that I don’t have to see the mother-in-law for a few months, but still…

The cruelest twist of fate had to be the temporarily (though it seemed to go on forever) disappearance of competitive sport from our TV screens. Thankfully we did get to drink in the ever enthralling Cheltenham Festival, but directly after that it was lights out across the sporting world. Having the 2020 Grand National replaced by a virtual version was a bitter pill to swallow for many racing fans. To this day I think they should’ve gone ahead with the real deal (just without the crowds). It’s such a shame as many punters were practically already on the edge of their seats wondering whether Tiger Rolls was going to make it three in a row for trainer Gordon Elliot.  Of course now we’ll never know, but on the plus side we may well still know in 2021, so as they say, the best things come to those who wait. Many will of course be keeping an eye on sites like grand-national.uk in order to avoid missing out on the latest Grand National news, tips and free bet offers. Who can blame them!

So what does the Grand National 2021 have in store for us? Good question. First and foremost it will bring the nation together for a rare moment of sporting unity. Whether a professional gambler or casual punter we’ll all pause to appreciate this, the pinnacle of National Hunt racing. It may well be that the crowds are not on the course (time will tell!), but still, office sweepstakes and having a punt on a horse because it has the same name as your Nan will all be top of the agenda. And who are the bookmakers favouring to take the aintree Grand National crown in 2021? Well, it’s perhaps a little too early to say, but Tiger Roll is once again currently in the mix (20-1 with several bookies) , and several others such as Presenting Percy, Jett and the one and only Burrows Saint are also up there too. Considering what this year hold, at minimum the Grand National 2021 will by default almost, be a race to remember.

The Grand National is a horse racing event that started in 1839 in Aintree Racecourse, England. That is exactly 181 years ago. This event is one of the most famous horse racing events in Europe. The race is very popular in the British culture, and many fans go the extra mile to wager on their favorite horses. In recent times, fans even make bets online with the best Grand National Odds Sportsbet and odds on many other online bookmakers.

 

The Virtual Grand National is a virtual form of the real Grand National which tries to predict what the scores for the Grand National will be. While the real Grand National involves real people and real horses, the virtual form only tries to replicate this real event. It is shown on TV and riders are seen riding horses even though the real ones are still in the comfort of their homes.  The virtual grand national started in 2017 and was shown before the main Grand National.

 

This year, for the first time in 181 years, the real grand national will not be taking place. The Virtual grand national took its place as the pandemic prevented anyone from stepping out of their houses and engaging in social activities.  This means that the only grand national event that will hold this season is the Virtual one which has been done successfully.

 

It was held on Saturday, April 4th. About 40 horses raced that day. Some of these horses are Tiger Roll, Aso, Alpha Des Obeaux, Anibale Fly, Bristol De Mai, e.t.c. Here are the horses that emerged as top five:

•       Potters Corner
•       Walk-In The Mill
•       Any Second Now
•       Tiger Roll
•       Burrows Saint

 

Potters Corner emerged winner of this year’s Virtual Grand National. The horse was raced by Jack Tudor.

 

The Virtual Grand National has always been a game that predicted the scores of the actual grand national. Sometimes, the winner of the grand national and its virtual form are different, but there is always a close relationship between the top five of both games. In 2018, the virtual race while the real race was won by the same horse, Tiger Roll. But In 2019, the Virtual Grand National produced a different result from that of the Grand National. It, however, was able to predict three of the first five horses and Tiger Roll who came first in the real race came third in the virtual race.

 

Apart from being the only version of the race that took place, this year’s Virtual Grand National stood out because of the funds donated to the NHS as a charity. NHS was the highest winner of the Virtual Grand National, 2020. Every bookmaker donated profits to the NHS, and over £1,000,000 was raised. People were encouraged to also donate some part of their winnings or all the winnings they get from the race.

 

Other Horse racing organizers following the success of Virtual Grand National have started their own virtual races. One of such is the Kentucky Derby: Triple Crown showdown in the US. There are a couple of others too. Suddenly, the impossible is now made possible through the use of technological advancement.

 

This year’s game has indeed made other virtual grand Nationals from 2017 down to 2019 look like a testing ground for a time like this. Even though it could only happen virtually, the game was real and exciting. It will surely be one of the events that will be added to the important Grand National memories.