The 2020 Grand National will not take place in what will be only the first time in the race’s history that it has been cancelled since the Second World War.

The cancellation of the race this year has left horse racing fans bitterly disappointed with some having made travel arrangements and several others simply looking forward to betting on the race.

Despite the actual race not taking place, fans will be able to gain some excitement from the Virtual Grand National which will be broadcast for the fourth consecutive year.

What Is The Virtual Grand National?

The Virtual Grand National is a simulation of the real race with the results being determined by computer algorithms. In the 2019 Virtual Grand National, Tiger Roll romped home just as he did in the real race. In fact, the computer simulation predicted three of the five top finishers last year.

40 horses will run in the 2020 Virtual Grand National based on which ones were most likely to run in the real race. The virtual National is produced by Carm Productions, which has vowed to ensure the result will not leak out to the betting market. 

How To Bet On The Virtual Grand National

You can bet on the Virtual Grand National with the Tote but it is currently unclear as to whether other bookmakers will be taking bets on the race. With the Tote, winnings are based on the size of the pool and the number of people who have also won. It differs from fixed odds betting as you don’t know your potential returns until betting has closed which is usually when the race begins.

Keep checking back to this page to find an updated list of bookies which are taking bets on the Virtual Grand National. Other bookmakers have confirmed that they will be accepting bets on the race and donating any profits made to charity.

William Hill will donate to the NHS Charities Together and Spokesman Rupert Adams said: “We like to think that the public will get right behind it and hope that the industry can raise a substantial sum of money.

“A large number of people choose their Grand National bet by using names and colours, which you can clearly still do.”

On Wednesday more Bookies have confirmed that they will be taking bets on the Virtual Grand National and donating any profits to the NHS Charities Together. Maximum bet on the race will be £10 per customer or £10 each way per horse.

What Time Does The Virtual Grand National Start?

The Virtual Grand National will take place on Saturday 4th April shortly after 5pm when the real race was scheduled for.

How To Watch The Virtual Grand National

The Virtual Grand National will be shown live on ITV! The program will start at 5pm with the CGI race starting shortly afterwards and running until 5.30pm. If you’d like to watch horse racing live, please take a look at our streaming page which contains links to dozens of upcoming races each day.