Luck to make ITV debut presenting virtual Grand National

For the first time a horse could win the Grand National twice in the space of two days thanks to the inauguration of an animated running of the Aintree extravaganza that is to have the first of two ITV4 airings at 8pm on Friday.

Former Channel 4 anchor Nick Luck will make his ITV debut presenting the 30-minute Carm Productions programme that, using the latest computer-generated imagery (CGI), will seek to predict what is going to happen in this year's Randox Health-sponsored showpiece.

"I'm looking forward to it and very happy to be doing it," said Luck. "This is something different and it should help to generate even more interest in the race. It is being independently produced and I'm delighted ITV have decided to take it."

Aldaniti's 1981 Grand National-winning rider Bob Champion and Richard Pitman, who came so close to triumphing aboard Crisp in 1973, have joined Lydia Hislop and fellow broadcaster-journalist Jamie Lynch in assessing the likely field's prospects. The 40 horses due to meet at 5.15pm on Saturday will then face the virtual starter for the fake race, which is being recorded at Aintree on Wednesday.

Definitly Red is set to run in both the real and virtual Grand National this weekCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Aintree director Luck, who will host Racing UK's coverage of the real National, added: "The experts considered the chances of all the runners, and their views, combined with market expectations and the likely ground conditions, will manifest a version of the race using various complex algorithms that are way too smart for me.

"It should make for a really good spectacle because CGI technology has come on by a generation since this sort of thing was last tried. It will be fun to see if the computer has any success at predicting the right result."

The virtual Grand National will be shown again by ITV4 at 11.30am on Saturday.