Red Rum rides again as hologram to celebrate 50th anniversary of first victory

And he’s off...the spirit of Red Rum gallops back to the scene of his Grand National triumphs to herald a record £250million betting bonanza. A stunning hologram by bookmaker Coral, was beamed in front of Liverpool’s Royal Liver Building 50 years after Red Rum won his first Aintree crown.

Saturday’s 5.15pm 30-fence, four-mile race is predicted to be a cold, cloudy encounter. But bookies reckon things will soon heat up, with up to £150million riding on the event, watched by a global audience of 600 million.

They say key Premier League football fixtures will help make the weekend a £250million betting frenzy.

Favourites include Corach Rambler (6/1) and Noble Yeats (8/1) who won the big race last year with jockey Sam Waley-Cohen.

Red Rum, trained by Ginger McCain, won three Grand Nationals, in 1973, 1974 and 1977. This year Ginger’s son, Donald, hopes his 50/1 chance Minella Trump will make it a 50th anniversary to remember.

David Stevens, of Coral, said: “Saturday’s a day when millions have their one and only bet of the year. That ensures National day is by far the biggest in the betting calendar, with total turnover approaching £250million.

The National has been run 174 times since 1839. In 2020, it was a computer-generated charity race for the NHS because of the Covid lockdown.