SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Inspired Entertainment has announced that its Grand National Race of Champions, and Virtual Grand National 2018 predictor race, are to broadcast on UK television ahead of this years live event at Aintree.
The Race of Champions is set to see 40 runners and riders from horseracing history go up against modern day contemporaries, taking on Becher’s Brook, The Chair and other famous Aintree fences to determine an all-time champion.
Utilising the latest CGI 3D technology and software, celebrated past winners, such as Red Rum, will compete with last year’s winner, One for Arthur, and a host of others, with the race set to be scheduled on ITV4 on the eve of this years spectacle.
In addition to this, presenter and racing expert Nick Luck will bring viewers the Virtual Grand National 2018, utilising the same technology as its Race of Champions counterpart.
The field will be full of runners from the years race, who will compete hours ahead of the “off,” with both offering set to form part of an hour long special previewing the 171st running of the Randox Health Grand National.
Steve Rogers, Chief Commercial Officer of Digital Games at Inspired Entertainment, commented: “We used the latest technology and filming techniques to capture the iconic Aintree course in order to deliver the most authentic looking race possible.
“The reaction to the 2017 Virtual Grand National was fantastic and we’re delighted to be bringing the Race of Champions, in addition to the 2018 Virtual Grand National predictor race, to screens this year.”
Last year Cause of Causes triumphed in the first Virtual Grand National on ITV, charging from mid-pack as earlier predicted, with Richard Pitman, retired jump jockey who famously narrowly missed out on 1973 Grand National glory with Crisp, stating “The virtual predictor race was incredibly close in 2017.
“The technology picked out three of the top six finishers, was accurate about how Cause of Causes would handle the race, and incredibly close on where many others would finish or fall’.
The years Virtual Grand National and Race of Champions are to be broadcast on ITV4 at 8pm on Friday April 13, with highlights appearing the next day.
You can check out the official trailer for the Virtual Grand National 2018 below.
