Renowned for her flawless performance at Cheltenham, Lossiemouth is tipped as the NAP of the day for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival's opening Champion Hurdle. This exceptional mare has a history of triumphs at the Festival, including victories in the Triumph Hurdle and Mares' Hurdles. Lossiemouth's strong form and course familiarity outweigh concerns about her past defeat due to unfavorable ground conditions. Additionally, other promising horses like Imperial Saint, Mydaddypaddy, and Will The Wise are also suggested for successful races.
Racing Insider's NAP Of The Day on day one of the Cheltenham Festival
Lossiemouth is our best bet of the day in the Champion Hurdle
Here's how you can back our NAP of the day and get the top price
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Here's is my NAP Of The Day on day one of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival.
Cheltenham Day 1 NAP Of The Day - Lossiemouth (Champion Hurdle)
Four of the last six renewals of the Champion Hurdle have been won by mares. Epatante, Honeysuckle and Golden Ace have their names on the honours board at Prestbury Park, and LOSSIEMOUTH (2/1) can join that illustrious club of Champion Hurdle winners on Tuesday.
Lossiemouth has been simply flawless around Cheltenham. Mullins' grey has won the Triumph Hurdle and two Mares' Hurdles at the Festival, and even trounced a decent field when landing the Unibet Hurdle on Trials Day in 2024.
Paul Townend's mount looked as good as ever when winning the Morgiana Hurdle and the December Hurdle. I'd attribute her defeat at the Dublin Racing Festival to the heavy ground - even though Lossiemouth has previously won Grade Ones on a similarly testing surface.
Mullins' grey must have been working well in those first-time cheekpieces to warrant her Champion Hurdle inclusion. Her course form is there for everyone to see, and the geldings will struggle to give this prolific mare seven pounds.
As I mentioned in my through the card tips for day one, I'm a big fan of Imperial Saint in the Ultima. Mydaddypaddy should have the ideal setup in the Supreme, and Will The Wise looks set for a big run in the Plate.
However, a NAP should be the horse that you feel has the best chance of winning their race. And for me, on day one of the Cheltenham Festival, that's Lossiemouth.
Jade De Grugy (left) finishing second to Lossiemouth (right) in the 2025 Mares' Hurdle. (Getty)
Cheltenham Day 1 NAP FAQs
When does the Cheltenham Festival start?
The 2026 Cheltenham Festival begins with Champions' Day on Tuesday, March 10th, 2026.
When is the 2026 Champion Hurdle?
The 2026 Champion Hurdle is set to go off at 4:00pm on Tuesday, 10th March. The Champion Hurdle is the feature race on day one of the Cheltenham Festival.
What does NAP Of The Day mean?
A NAP is a tipster’s strongest selection of the day, the horse they believe has the best chance of winning among all their tips. The term NAP comes from the card game Napoleon, where a player declaring “nap” is making the highest and most confident bid. In racing journalism, the same idea was adopted to signal a tipster’s most confident pick.
