Inspired, the leading provider of Virtual Sports, Mobile Games and SBG Video Lottery, today announces that it has signed an exclusive long term partnership with Carm Productions and The Jockey Club to produce the first ever Virtual Grand National.

·         Aintree and its famous fences will be used as the back drop for a brand new suite of products from Inspired, with a Virtual Horse Race being the headline product.
·         In addition, once a year the legendary names from the Grand National will compete in the Virtual Grand National Race of Champions. This annual race will be broadcast ahead of the live Grand National and will feature a field of the greatest horses to have raced at Aintree over the past century.
·         Inspired will also release a second unique Aintree feature race – The Virtual Grand National – featuring the declared runners and riders in any given year. Inspired will use the current form and odds to create a full 3D representation of the upcoming race and run it just hours before the Grand National race each year.
·         Aintree will become the first racecourse in the UK to be featured daily in Virtual Horse Races provided exclusively by Inspired, which will be streamed to online and mobile players, and broadcast into retail betting and gaming locations worldwide through Inspired’s network of digital and land-based platforms.
·       The Grand National is watched by 600m people across 140 countries and is the most valuable jump race in Europe, with a prize fund of £1 million.

Steve Rogers, CCO Digital Games, Inspired commented: ‘Inspired’s virtual races are seen in over 50,000 outlets worldwide and have become a key part of sports betting globally. The introduction of the most famous course, Aintree, into this virtual world enables us to offer our customers a unique product which will clearly differentiate us from other providers in the sector. Seeing 41 virtual horses thundering around the famous Aintree course in Ultra HD with complete flexibility over camera positions promises to be something very special, and we are delighted to be a part of this collaborative project with Carm Productions and the Jockey Club.’

John Baker, MD Aintree Racecourse, added: ‘The Race of Champions will capture the imagination of the millions of people who love the Grand National and it will allow them to pour over the form, the odds and the achievements of these exceptional horses of yesteryear at their peak and those of today. We found the opportunity to bring these greats ‘back to life’ simply irresistible and I hope The Race of Champions and The Virtual Grand National will become a big feature in the build up to the ‘real’ races every year from 2017.’

Peter Eaton, Deputy Chairman of Halewood International, added: ‘The reaction to the concept races has been fabulous. I think Inspired have pulled out all the stops and produced a sensational delivery mechanism which uses the most sophisticated algorithms and 3D technology alongside high definition pictures of the actual Aintree course. I think broadcasters, bookmakers, punters and the millions who have a flutter every year will find this fascinating as it brings those wonderful names of the past back to life and will it resonate globally.’