To begin, let’s explain what a horseracing nap is.
Horse racing is a sport awash with slang terms and phrases to describe the majority of what is going on. At times it can seem like you are learning another language. A “nap” in this case has nothing to do with sleep, it instead began as being a bet on a horse that you think has an incredibly good chance of winning.
It is important to note that originally a nap was still not necessarily good value, the odds have nothing to do with it, it was simply the horse that had (in the eyes of the person choosing it) the most chance of winning that day or at that meeting. One best bet.
In more recent times the term nap has drifted from being a horse that can not be beaten to just meaning “this is a good bet to place”. Today a bet that should not lose is more likely to be known as a “banker”.
It is possible the term derived from the card game “Napoleon” where the strongest (almost unbeatable) hand was called a Napoleon, and then it was abbreviated to “nap” for a horse that should not be beaten. But nobody can be certain about that, it is just a theory.
Where should I back the NAP of the Day?
Ultimately, the decision is yours, but consider where you will be able to get the best odds? Take into account if the bookmaker offers “best odds guaranteed” because if they do then this will be better value than a site that does not. You can also look for any other promotions on offer such as refunds if your horse comes 2nd or 3rd, does the bookmaker pay first past the post, are there refunds “if” anything else occurs? These things all increase the value of the bet, even if the odds remain the same.
You can find more information on our Wiki page: How to bet on horse racing online
How do you pick your Horse Racing naps?
Each tipster will have a slightly different system for selecting their naps of the day (obviously, or they would all pick the same thing!). The exact method each uses will be a closely guarded secret but factors they are likely to consider is the horse’s form, who the jockey is, how the horse performs on the ground conditions, what the trainers have said (either in public or in private) and how the other horses in the race are likely to perform.
When it comes to which tipster naps you chose to follow the decision is ultimately yours but it makes sense to look at how their naps have performed in the past.
Try to dig into the raw data and narrow it down to how do they perform at this particular track, or when betting on horses for this trainer or jockey.
By doing so you may uncover more information about the tipsters underlying and relevant chances of making a correct guess this time. It also makes sense to see if multiple tipsters have chosen the same nap, because this would indicate that more than one formula or system has given the same result, strengthening the choice.
Naps Table
Below you can see the William Hill Nap Table as displayed on their website. It is updated daily and gives a snap shot of the current performance of many tipsters. It is run as a competition amongst William Hill customers (and staff) where bets are £1 and the aim is to see who can make the most profit by the time the competition ends. Normally there are prizes depending on how you have performed, but this will vary from competition to competition and it is not always guaranteed.
As you can see, there are several columns of data, the first simply being the name of the person giving the selection. Then there is their performance so far this month as well as performance to date. You can see their choice of horse as well as where and when the horse will be running. Finally you can see the most recent results and if they chose a winner or if the bet lost. Instead of the current odds William Hill provide a link to bet on the same selection as them, and you will see the odds displayed here.
What information is shown in a Naps Daily Selection table?
There is no rule about what information should be shown and it is up to the person compiling the table at the end of the day to compare whatever variables they want to, but the majority of naps tables will all contain similar things. You should expect to find:
- The name of the horse that has been chosen
- The race they are in (meeting and time)
- Who has tipped that horse (it will often be more than one person or site)
- The overall long run performance of those tipsters
- The current (or advised) odds of the horse
What other daily horse racing tips can I use?
Naps can be helpful as guidance of which races to avoid as much as which ones to bet on. Tipsters will often give several horses to bet on each day, sometimes more than one in a race! They will only have one nap which they see as their best bet, but there is nothing to stop you betting on any of the other tips as well.
You do not have to bet on other people’s naps of course, there is nothing wrong with making your own informed choices. You can also watch the races yourself to see not just if a horse won or lost but how did they lose? Were they actually the slower horse or were they unlucky with a bad ride from the jockey? Did they come second over 6 furlongs but were improving all the time? If so and they are now racing 1 mile that is going to help them. There is lots of research everyone can themselves to help try to gain a picture of how the race is likely to go, and then make informed bets from that.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a horseracing nap mean?
A horse racing nap means the best selection that a tipster has today, if you are only going to place one bet today they recommend it be that one.
Why do Horse Racing Tipsters use Naps?
Mainly to gain publicity and get attention paid to their bets. There is no actual difference in reality between a nap and any other tip, it is just the one they feel happiest with that day. There is no mathematical or empirical reasons behind the choice.