2020 Grand National

The 2020 Grand National was scheduled to have been the 173rd annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England.[1] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was cancelled on 16 March 2020 for the first time since 1993.[2][3]

2020 Grand National
Grand National
LocationAintree
DateCancelled

The event was due to be sponsored by Randox Health as part of an agreement signed in 2016 for the company to sponsor the race for five years, starting in 2017.[4]

The cancellation marked the first time since World War II the famous steeplechase was not run.

ITV did however broadcast the Virtual Grand National, a computer-generated version of the race, on 4 April at the usual race time of 5:15pm. The virtual race was won by Potter's Corner, ridden by 17-year-old jockey Jack Tudor. If Tudor had competed in the real National, he would have become the youngest winning jockey since 1938 - however, Tudor would not have qualified for the real National without winning several races in March, when racing had already been suspended.[5] Bookmakers offered odds for all horses originally meant to participate, with the £2.6m generated being donated to the National Health Service to help treat patients with COVID-19.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. https://www.thejockeyclub.co.uk/aintree/events-tickets/grand-national
  2. Haynes, Jack (16 March 2020). "Grand National meeting completely cancelled due to coronavirus outbreak". Racing Post.
  3. "The Aintree Grand National has been cancelled due to coronavirus". The 42. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  4. Cook, Chris (8 March 2016). "Grand National sponsored by Randox Health in five-year deal from 2017". the Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  5. Glendenning, Barry; Wood, Greg (4 April 2020). "Virtual Grand National 2020: Potters Corner takes victory – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  6. Keogh, Frank (4 April 2020). "Virtual Grand National 2020: Potters Corner wins televised race". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  7. "Virtual Grand National raises £2.6m for NHS Charities Together". BBC Sport. 5 April 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
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