TIGER’S BID THWARTED

Corner wins Virtual National

WE will have to wait until next year to see if Tiger Roll can really make it three victories in the Grand National – but he failed to do so in this year’s virtual contest in which he finished fourth behind Potters Corner.

Race commentator Stewart Machin referred to the ‘packed Aintree grandstands’ as yesterday’s virtual race did its utmost to create an atmosphere of the world’s greatest horse race.

The ITV programme was hosted by Nick Luck who at one point was broadcasting from his garden, standing next to a whopping great hedge that could be mistaken for Becher’s Brook.

As for Potters Corner, an 18-1 shot who won the Welsh National in December, it would have been the first win for a horse trained in Wales since Kirkland in 1905.

It was a plausible outcome created by the geeks who had fed said: “Today’s Virtual Grand National proved a real success. The average stake per bet was just over £2 which is an indication of the recreational nature of the event.”

Despite restricting bets to £10, all profits will be donated to NHS Charities Together, an organisation that represents more than 140 NHS charities.

And Machin has put up the colour chart that helped him call the race for auction and the bids are already rocketing in.

Thankfully, there was some sanity restored from the virtual “Legends’ Race,” that included stand-out winners from the past, when Red Rum came out on top.

Davy Russell, successful in the last two Nationals astride Tiger Roll, said: “The way the weather is at the moment, the ground would have been perfect for him.”

Hopefully, the race will be back next year and Tiger Roll will have the conditions in his favour again.