IT’S THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS RACE – JUST NOT QUITE AS WE KNOW IT Saturday, April 4, 2020 Download the free Racing Post app for must-have news, tips and fast results National heroes We’re ready to cheer on Tiger Roll in the Virtual Grand National – with all betting profits on the race going to charities supporting our heroic NHS staff The ultimate guide to today’s virtual race, live on ITV Pages 2-5 Gordon Ed Elliott Chamberlin Tiger RoRoll’ll’s trainer rues ITV Racing anchorman what might have been on what the Grand but can’t wait for 2021 National means to him Interview, pages 6-7 Page 5 2 Saturday, April 4, 2020 racingpost.com TODAY’S ACTION 5.15 AINTREE THE VIRTUAL RANDOX HEALTH ‘The race EDWARD WHITAKER (RACINGPOST.COM/PHOTOS) that never was’: ITV gears up for big broadcast By James Stevens IT MIGHT not be the real thing but Saturday’s Virtual Grand National has the potential to attract a huge television audience due to diminished sporting offerings in the wake of Britain’s coronavirus shutdown. An audience peak of 9.6 million watched Tiger Roll’s historic second victory in the real thing on ITV last year. This time round viewers can watch a computer-generated simula- tion, the trailer for which entitles it as ‘the race that never was’. ITV has been reluctant to speculate as to a likely audience figure but interest in the race – in the absence of anything else – has been growing in the days leading up The fi eld for the 2019 Randox Health Grand National lines up at Aintree – don’t miss the 2020 version, a National with a twist, on ITV today to the broadcast. The broadcast begins at 5pm on ITV1, in the same slot in which the Randox Health Grand National was scheduled How a fun simulation before the event was cancelled last month. Racing TV presenter Nick Peter Scargill on a Luck leads the broadcast and is sideshow that has joined by pundits Alice has come to mean so Plunkett and Richard Pitman become the main while Stewart Machin is on event in strange times commentary duty. Bookmakers have also been HIS was the keen to support the race and weekend we in on Wednesday announced all much more this year racing expected to profits taken from bets on the be at the centre of race are pledged to go to NHS T the sporting Charities Together, the this year, was one of the Yet, in these most peculiar of each-way and profits from the the engine behind the race will universe and, in an odd kind of umbrella organisation that earliest victims of the virus times momentum has built race are pledged to go to NHS produce its version of events. way we could surely have represents more than 140 NHS with the Jockey Club behind the event as people, Charities Together, the The machines have done charities. never anticipated, we still are. cancelling the festival on racing fans or otherwise, have umbrella organisation that rather well at predicting what Coral’s Simon Clare said What we wanted to be March 16 — a decision that peered in on this concept with represents more than 140 NHS might happen in previous yesterday: “The uptake has talking about was Tiger Roll’s preceded the full closure of a mixture of intrigue, charities, but that opportunity seasons. In 2017 Cause Of been really good. We’ve seen a bid for racing immortality as British racing until at least the excitement and uncertainty. to cheer your horse on with Causes was the virtual winner good number of bets across all he lined up at Aintree in an end of this month and moves After all, what is real right the potential to win a little bit and he went on to finish runners, it’s even been a little attempt to win the Randox by the UK government the now? There are horses racing, yourself still very much exists. second to One For Arthur. A surprising. Health Grand National for a following week to shut down sort of, and you can even bet Perhaps if you are lucky year later, Tiger Roll collected “If this is anything like a third time, a feat only ever huge parts of society to slow on the outcome. enough to come away with a both victories and last year normal Grand National day, achieved by the legendary Red the spread of an illness that And for all that it is a unique few quid in your pocket you Rathvinden was the interest should grow and grow Rum in the 181-year history of worldwide has infected at least race in the British sporting may even consider donating computer’s choice before through the day. Some of the the race. one million people and led to calendar, the Grand National some of your profits too. finishing third in the real thing. national media have really Instead, we face a distinctly more than 50,000 deaths. owes much of its enduring To find the winner some will So let’s see what the taken the Virtual Grand different reality, both in terms However, in its place appeal because it brings out rely on old Grand National technology tells us might have National initiative on board of our own circumstances and something remarkable has the gambler in nearly all of us. traditions such as favourite happened had life not been and given it great publicity. It’s those surrounding the world’s emerged. With the country This year bookmakers have jockey, colours or name. turned upside down because a day generally fuelled by the most famous steeplechase. starved of entertainment, still provided that chance to Others will still prefer to try to sadly for this year’s winner, media in part and the absence Instead of thronging crowds especially of a sporting kind, bet. The stakes are rightly weigh up form and related virtual success cannot become of sport means that people are descending upon Liverpool and needing anything to limited to a tenner win or factors, which is exactly how a reality. looking for some light relief. and the associated betting provide a release to the frenzy, we will be confined to “This is a totally one-size- anxiety, stress, dread and Floor 7, Vivo Building South Bank Central, fits-all idea and the bookies our homes on this unusual boredom created by 30 Stamford Street, London SE1 9LS sporting Saturday to watch on aren’t fighting for business circumstance, the virtual race The Capel Building, with best prices – the stakes are as computer representations of has taken on a wholly different Telephone 0203 0348900 Customer Services 0207 748 3771 [email protected] Picture purchases racingpost.com/photos Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7 limited and odds are set. horses compete based on a position in our psyche. series of mathematical Published by Spotlight Sports Group. All rights reserved. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. No part of this publication may “Even if you lose, you’re It’s strange. Previously, ITV’s be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or winning when you consider the algorithms; such is life since virtual ‘running’ had been otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. NHS are going to benefit. There the coronavirus swept something of a sideshow, a is no obligation for people to mercilessly across the world game that tested how accurate National Gambling Helplines have a bet either and donations and changed everything. a computer could be at UK 0808 8020 133 can always be made directly to The ‘real’ Grand National, as predicting the real thing the Please gamble responsibly Ire 1800 936 725 the NHS.” it might have to be referred to following day. NI 08000 886 725 Racing Post Saturday, April 4, 2020 3 4m2½f Grade 3 handicap chase GRAND NATIONAL Live on ITV Keith Melrose’s Randox Health Grand National Handicap Chase 4m2½f big-race Spotlight 5.15 (Grade 3) (Class 1) (7yo+) ITV 10 11-10 7 10-9 Tiger Roll Completed the virtual-real Grand National double in 2018 and, despite 1 TIGER ROLL 21 TOUT EST PERMIS being second in this race last year, became the first horse since Red Rum to win Gordon Elliott Davy Russell Noel Meade Sean Flanagan back-to-back Nationals; denied his shot at a historic hat-trick in real life, he gets his chance here off 11lb higher than 12 months ago; has not sparkled like he can BRISTOL DE MAI 9 11-8 VINTAGE CLOUDS 10 10-8 in two runs this season, well held in second at Cheltenham last time, but his 2 22 whole season has been all about this race (well, maybe not quite this race). Nigel Twiston-Davies Daryl Jacob Sue Smith Danny Cook Bristol De Mai Famed for his exploits at Haydock, where he has twice won the Grade 1 Betfair Chase; a likeable grey who often goes the extra mile figuratively, ASO 10 11-2 CRIEVEHILL 8 10-8 in literal terms that might be a struggle as he only just gets home in the 3 23 Cheltenham Gold Cup (3m2f); not at his best in that race last time, but would not Venetia Williams Charlie Deutsch Nigel Twiston-Davies Tom Bellamy be the first dubious stayer to go well in a virtual National. 8 11-2 10 10-8 Aso Enjoyed his finest hour when second to Frodon in last year’s Ryanair Chase 4 ELEGANT ESCAPE 24 LAKE VIEW LAD (2m4f) at Cheltenham; has not convinced with his stamina in a couple of tries Colin Tizzard Jonjo O’Neill Jr.