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LONDON. — Potters Corner won the televised Virtual Grand National at the weekend after the big race was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 18-1 shot beat runner-up Walk In The Mill (16-1) in the computer-simulated race, with Any Second Now (10-1) third.

Tiger Roll, the 5-1 favourite, was fourth and 12-1 chance Burrows Saint finished fifth.

Bookmakers offered odds, with profits going to NHS Charities Together.

Potters Corner, trained in Wales by Christian Williams, won the real-life Welsh Grand National in December under teenage jockey Jack Tudor.

All horse racing in Great Britain has been suspended until at least the end of this month.

Forty runners who would have been most likely to line up at Aintree took part, using CGI technology and special algorithms.

Tiger Roll had been due to seek an unprecedented third consecutive win in Saturday’s big race before it was called off on 16 March.

The animated version had much of the drama associated with the actual race, with long-time leader Aso falling in the closing stages.

A virtual race of champions preceded the main event, televised on ITV, in which triple National victor Red Rum ran out the winner.

The animations included virtual ambulances following the runners and riders around the course, and shots of excited spectators. Jockeys watched from home and entered into the spirit of the event with posts on social media.

“Well I got around, I’ll take that,” said champion jockey Richard Johnson.

A spokesperson for Carm Productions, which was behind the idea, said: “Let’s hope it has entertained racegoers and the wider public. We also hope it has been able to help raise funds to support the NHS at this important time.”

‘’As previous virtual Grand Nationals have proved fairly accurate in terms of the actual result — and there’s no reason to believe that wouldn’t have been repeated — what a story Potters Corner might have been in the real thing,’’ said BBC horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght.

‘’In 2019 the first Welsh-trained winner of Wales’ Grand National in over half a century might have turned into the first Aintree success for Wales in over 100 years.

‘’How ironic though, that Jack Tudor wouldn’t necessarily have qualified to ride because of inexperience. Tiger Roll was anchored by the weight. An 18-1 winner means a decent amount for the NHS.’’ — BBC Sport.