What Is a NAP in Horse Racing Betting?
If you read horse racing tips, newspaper columns, bookmaker previews, or betting websites, you will often see the word NAP next to a horse’s name. It is one of the most common terms in racing tipping, especially in the UK and Ireland.
In simple terms, a NAP is a tipster’s strongest selection of the day. It is the horse they are most confident about, or the one they believe represents their best betting opportunity.
Daily NAPs are published by racing newspapers, professional tipsters, TV pundits, betting websites, and racing analysts. Well-known sources include Racing Post, Sporting Life, Racing TV, GG, MyRacing, IrishRacing, The Winners Enclosure, and GetYourTipsOut.
The word is believed to come from the card game Napoleon, where “Nap” was used for a confident call or prediction.
What is a NAP in betting?
A NAP is the horse a tipster puts forward as their best bet of the day.
A racing expert might provide several selections across different meetings, but the NAP is the one they rate above the rest.
For example:
| Tipster | NAP Selection |
|---|---|
| Racing Post | Horse A |
| Sporting Life | Horse B |
| Racing TV | Horse C |
A NAP is usually chosen after weighing up several factors, including:
- Recent form
- Trainer and jockey performance
- Ground conditions
- Course record
- Race distance
- Speed figures
- Market confidence
- Value at the available odds
Some naps are short-priced favourites with obvious winning claims. Others are bigger-priced runners where the tipster believes the odds are too generous.
What does NB mean in horse racing?
NB stands for Next Best.
This is the tipster’s second-strongest selection of the day, behind the NAP.
A simple way to understand it is:
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| NAP | Strongest selection of the day |
| NB | Second-best selection of the day |
Many racing websites, newspapers, and tipsters publish both a NAP and an NB each day. The NAP is the headline pick, while the NB gives punters another horse the tipster rates highly.
Other common racing tipping terms include:
- Each-way – backing a horse to win or place
- Longshot – a bigger-priced outsider
- Banker – a horse expected to run very strongly
- Treble – three selections combined in one bet
Who gives the best racing naps?
There is no permanent “best” NAP provider because racing results change constantly and every tipster has a different approach.
Some tipsters prefer high strike rates and shorter prices. Others are more interested in long-term profit, even if that means backing horses at bigger odds and accepting more losing runs.
Popular racing NAP sources include:
- Racing Post
- Sporting Life
- Racing TV
- GG
- MyRacing
- IrishRacing
- The Winners Enclosure
- GetYourTipsOut
The best way to compare NAP providers is not by looking at one winner or one losing day. It is better to track performance over time using stats such as:
- Strike rate
- Profit/loss
- Return on Investment
- Average odds
- Festival performance
- Flat vs Jumps results
- Long-term consistency
This is where independent NAP tracking becomes useful. It helps punters see which tipsters are performing well across weeks and months, rather than relying only on promoted winners.
Are racing naps worth following?
Racing naps can be useful, especially for punters who do not have time to study every race in detail.
A good NAP can point towards:
- A horse in strong recent form
- A positive trainer or jockey booking
- A runner suited by the ground or trip
- A well-handicapped horse
- A selection attracting market support
However, racing is unpredictable. No tipster wins every day, and even respected racing experts go through losing runs.
Before following a NAP, it is worth asking:
- Does the tipster have a good long-term record?
- Are the selections usually short prices or value odds?
- Is there a clear explanation behind the pick?
- How does the tipster perform over a full month or season?
- Are results tracked transparently?
Backing naps blindly is risky. They are best used as a guide, especially when combined with your own judgement, odds comparison, and long-term performance tracking.
What is the difference between a NAP and a tip?
A tip is any horse recommended by a tipster.
A NAP is the tipster’s strongest recommendation of the day.
| Type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tip | Any racing selection |
| NAP | The tipster’s best bet of the day |
| NB | The second-best selection |
So every NAP is a tip, but not every tip is a NAP.
A tipster might recommend several horses across different races, but only one will usually be marked as the NAP. That label tells readers which selection carries the most confidence.
Whether you prefer newspaper naps, TV pundits, professional tipsters, or specialist racing websites, the most important thing is long-term tracking. Strike rate, profit/loss, ROI, average odds, and consistency are far more useful than judging a tipster on one day’s result.
Used sensibly, racing naps can help punters identify strong daily selections and compare which tipsters are delivering genuine value over time.