Cheltenham betting: 2026 National Hunt Challenge Cup contenders and tip

Day one of Cheltenham Festival 2026 concludes with the National Hunt Challenge Cup, which Coral has provided its tip for.

Coral's National Hunt Challenge Cup Cheltenham 2026 tip

Over a marathon trip of three miles and six furlongs, this is the sort of race which could throw up a surprise result. 

Paul Nolan’s Iceberg Theory seeks a hat-trick and is a very able stayer, so could be in contention here.  

Lucinda Russell and Michael Scudamore run King Of Answers here, who was lately seen beating the useful Bill Baxter over three miles and Kelso.

With more staying power in his arsenal, he looks somewhat tempting, though might prefer to be lower in the weights for this. 

Wa Wa carries topweight but is good at this track, winning here in a Listed novices’ chase at the November meeting. He could factor, but this is a long race around which it will be difficult to shoulder top weight.