NHS Charities Together to benefit from bookmakers profits on ITV's Virtual Grand National this Saturday

MAJOR bookmakers will be taking bets on the Virtual Grand National to be broadcast on ITV this Saturday - with all profits going to the NHS Charities Together.

Bookmakers William Hill welcomed the 5pm scheduling of the Virtual Race to coincide with the normal Aintree Grand National start time and the maximum stake on the television event with any bookmaker is set to be a tenner.

William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said: ‘’It’s fantastic that ITV have switched the race to the main channel and have scheduled it for regular Grand National race time.

‘It will help cheer the nation up and as most Grand National punters bet on colours and nice names then for them it will be just like the big race.

‘All profits are going to the NHS Charities Together, probably the most worthwhile cause in the UK at present.

‘And it will be great for many punters to get their chance to have a bet on Tiger Roll doing it for the third time, but though the dual winner is bound to go off favourite there are plenty in with chances.’

Among those absolutely heartbroken the real-life Grand National is not going ahead is trainer Brian Ellison, who had 2017 10-1 second favourite Definitely Red primed for a massive run in the World’s most famous steeplechase after winning his warm up the William Hill Premier Chase at Kelso by 14 lengths.

Brian, who trains at Malton and has his Yorkshire racing yard in lockdown, said: ‘It’s heart-breaking really, as this race had been the plan for the year and the horse is in such great form. He would have been going there with a real chance and would have just needed a little luck.

‘The Virtual Grand National won’t be the same, but they haven’t been far wrong in the last three years, so it will be very, very interesting.

‘The NHS has been fantastic and the whole yard were out clapping for them last week and they have been unbelievable in this crisis. Hopefully the bookmakers, will raise a lot of money for a very good cause.

‘My first five would be Definitely Red winning with Alpha Des Obeaux second, last year’s 4th Walk In The Mill in third and Tiger Roll back in 4th with Burrows Saint back in 5th.’

William Hill ambassador Sir AP McCoy, who won the 2010 Grand National on 10-1 joint favourite Don’t Push It, said: “It’s a great shame that the Grand National is unable to be staged this year, but I think the virtual version is a great initiative and clearly for a good cause. 

‘I fancied Burrows Saint, who won the Irish Grand National last year and I can’t see any reason to change my mind on this, and will be cheering him on come Saturday.

‘With Any Second Now following him home in second, then Tiger Roll in third, Kimberlite Candy 4th and Traffic Fluide in 5th.’

Former Channel 4 Racing host Nick Luck will present the ITV coverage alongside Richard Pitman and Alice Plunkett.

Rob McLoughlin, executive producer of the Virtual Grand National, said: "We use the latest CGI technology and algorithms and were ready to go ahead as a forerunner to the big race, but now we want to cheer the nation up and ask the computer if history could have been made.

"It's very sad not to have the real race but this is fascinating and fun and, as proven since 2017, incredibly accurate."

The Virtual Grand National will also feature the Race Of Champions, which will see triple winner Red Rum, dual winner Tiger Roll and 38 other Aintree heroes face each other to see who might come out on top.

Bookmakers will be paying 5 places and the odds are fixed. The full list of 40 runners with their odds will be announced in the coming days.

NHS Charities Together was formerly the Association of NHS Charities and there are 250 NHS charities across the UK under their umbrella. Collectively these charities give £1 million every dayto the NHS, so that people can stay well for longer and get better faster.

In recent years NHS charities have funded major capital projects, pioneering research and medical equipment and are presently operating a Covid-19 Urgent Appeal.