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Anyone with even just a passing interest in horse racing is probably aware that Tiger Roll won the Grand National in 2018 and 2019 and was denied the opportunity to complete an unprecedented hat-trick in 2020, when the race was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Similarly, the name of Red Rum, who won the National three times, in 1973, 1974 and 1977, has passed into legend.

However, beyond the aforementioned pair, another five – possibly six, or possibly even seven, depending on your point of view – horses have won the Grand National more than once. The Duke won the first two runnings of the Grand Liverpool Steeplechase, which became the Grand National, in 1836 and 1837, but the first ‘official’ running of the National did not take place until 1839. Likewise Poethlyn definitely won the Grand National at Aintree in 1919, but also won the so-called ‘War National’, staged at Gatwick, in 1918. Less contentiously, the other bona fide dual winners of the Grand National were Abd-El-Kader in 1850 and 1851, The Lamb in 1868 and 1871, The Colonel in 1869 and 1870, Manifesto 1897 and 1899 and Reynoldstown in 1935 and 1936.

By definition, if we’re looking for ‘dark’ horses for the 2021 Grand National, we need to consider those with favourable characteristics that have been largely, or completely, overlooked by the bookmakers.

One such horse is Minellacelebration, who has form figures of 1211 on the Mildmay Course at Aintree and experience over the National fences yet, at the time of writing, can be backed at 100/1 for the 2021 Grand National. He has his stamina to prove, having yet to win beyond 3 miles 2 furlongs, but seemingly acts on any going and is attractively weighted, on 10st 5lb, as the weights stand. He coped well enough with the National fences when tenth in the Becher Chase in 2019 and, rather unluckily, unseated jockey Ben Poste on the flat in the same race last year.

Also available at 100/1 is another 11-year-old, Fagan, who was pulled up, when favourite, in the Scottish Grand National at Ayr in 2018 on his only attempt beyond 3 miles 1½ furlongs. However, he was transferred to Northamptonshire trainer Alex Hales from Gordon Elliott in 2020 and returned to winning form, on just his second start over fences for his new trainer, at Newbury in January. Even with a 10lb rise in the weights, he may struggle to get into the National but, if he does, he could prove to be a ‘lively’ outsider for all that he, too, has yet to win beyond 3 miles.

The Virtual Grand National is, as the name suggests, a computer simulation of the world famous steeplechase. The outcome is determined by a series of step-by-step computational procedures, or algorithms, which employ a random number generator ‘weighted’ with a guide price for each horse based on its previous achievements. Nonetheless, the Virtual Grand National features all the declared runners and employs high-definition, computer-generated imagery to create a faithful reproduction of the real race.

The Virtual Grand National was first broadcast on Friday, April 7, 2017, the eve of the real-life Grand National that year, and has subsequently been broadcast in 2018, 2019 and 2020, making four times in all. In 2020, the Virtual Grand National was broadcast at 17:00 on Saturday, April 4 – the same time at which the actual race was originally scheduled – and several bookmakers offered fixed-odds prices on the outcome.

Under normal circumstances, the Virtual Grand National is intended to provide some ‘light relief’ for horse racing fans but, nevertheless, the results so far have proved remarkably accurate.The first virtual winner, Cause Of Cause, finished second in the real-life event in 2017, Tiger Roll won both races in 2018 and Tiger Roll, Rathvinden and Anibale Fly finished in the first five, albeit in a different order, in both races in 2019.

Not altogether surprisingly, in 172 runnings, the Grand National has yet to result in a dead heat. That’s not to say that the celebrated steeplechase hasn’t produced its fair share of dramatic finishes down the years. The inexplicable collapse of Devon Loch on the run-in in 1954 and the agonising defeat of Crisp by Red Rum in 1973 are two that spring to mind, but the closest finish in the history of the Grand National came in 2012.

On that occasion, Neptune Collonges, ridden by Daryl Jacob, who had only been third jumping the final fence, collared Sunnyhillboy, ridden by Richie McLernon, who had taken the lead at ‘Elbow’, halfway up the famously long run-in, in the dying stride to win by a nose. With the possible exception of the connections of Sunnyhill Boy, few could begrudge Neptune Collonges his National win. In his heyday, he was officially rated 174 and finished third, beaten 7 lengths and a short head, behind his illustrious stable companions Denman and Kauto Star in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2008. In any event, that was that for the 11-year-old, who was retired immediately after the National.