SPORT

Wimbledon, Ascot, Henley, the Olympics – they’re all, surreally, gone, and a daily dog walk cannot be deemed to have adequately replaced them. But perhaps the Grand National, taking place as it did entirely digitally, has cracked it. It allowed our nation to continue pursuing three of our loves – tribalism, statistics and gambling – in a morale-boosting and risk-free manner. Not only will digital replacement athletes prove reliable and injury-free, even the most shallowly assembled collation of ones and zeroes will be likely to give a more engaging post-match interview than a Premier League footballer. On the plus side, Wimbledon’s cancellation allows Roger Federer some much-needed time off to prepare for the postponed French Open (which I expect him to win).