How to Use Horse Racing Naps & Win

You may have heard mention of the word Nap in horse racing. It is a term used throughout the betting industry for this particular sport. Essentially, horse racing naps are tips on which horse you should back. Horse racing naps can be quite confusing, especially to an amateur bettor, since many questions need to be answered.

What they are, when to bet on them, how often do they win and where to find them are just some of them. We explain it all, so you can make better-informed betting decisions about horse racing and learn to spot value. Let’s get straight down to business.

What are the Horse Racing Naps of the Day?

Horse racing naps are the top selection made by a betting tipster for a particular race meeting on a given day. In the opinion of these experts, they are the best chance of a winner from all the sporting action taking place on the track.

Sometimes called the bet or horse racing Nap of the day, they are based on a racehorse’s form chances and the prices on offer in the market. It is only an expert’s viewpoint, and not all tipsters choose the same horse as their Nap.

Where Does the Term Come From?

The origins of the word don’t come from betting but from a card game popular during the latter part of the Victorian period. The first President of France and later Emperor Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, spent time in exile in the UK.

That game of cards called Napoleon after him, sees players dealt a hand of five cards with the aim of taking tricks. Anyone who wins a trick with all five is said to go Nap because they have the best hand. Nap is shortened by Napoleon.

How Often Do Horse Racing Naps Win?

Judging how often naps win depends on the tipster. You can follow how horse racing naps of the day do in nap tables on certain websites - these highlight how good a tipster is at picking naps out. As well as being able to view their daily selections, there will be a return on investment (ROI) column and sometimes a value with a plus or minus sign in front of it.

That indicates where you would be betting a €1 level stake on all of a tipster’s horse racing naps in a given period. A plus in front of ROI or the level stake column indicates that you would be in profit if taking up the best bets recommended by that expert. However, a minus sign highlights an overall loss. You want to avoid tipsters whose naps fail to turn a profit.

Remember, there are very few horse racing systems that work all the time and even the best experts make mistakes. The higher the ROI and level stake column values are, then the better that tipster is at picking out winning naps.

These tables are continually being updated with more selections, which makes statistical analysis difficult. Just because an expert tops the chart, one day doesn’t mean they will be there come tomorrow. It all depends on how their next horse racing nap of the day gets on. In a sense, then, the tipster is only as good as their last tip.

Should I Back Every Nap?

The short answer is no. Not all racing naps are value for money. A critical factor in determining that is the price available. Tipsters may play it very safe with their naps and put forward racehorses that are odds-on (shorter than 2.00) to win. You may take their advice, see the tip as a good thing, and the horse may win, but you won’t even be doubling your money in doing so.

By the same token, the expert might have been bold with their naps and selected something from a race that is wide-open from a betting perspective. Then, despite their confidence in the horse, the market doesn’t reflect that. Certain tipsters and tipping services are seen as so influential by bookmakers that their horse racing naps of the day can shape how they price up odds.

How much should I stake on naps?

The prices on offer should influence your staking plan. The shorter the odds available, then the more significant investment you need to make to get a decent return. For example, a nap that is a 7/4 (2.75) chance needs double the stake of a horse at 9/2 (5.50) to make the same profit.

€4 at the first price returns €11, yet the second set odds of only requires an investment of €2 to get that much back. You should always have a staking plan in mind for betting, whether you follow the Nap of the day or not. In addition, it is advised to play on the best odds guaranteed bookies because you ensure you are getting the highest available price at all times. 

It is also good to have both a budget and a strategy and stick to them. Betting on horses is supposed to be a bit of fun, and you should always gamble responsibly. No exception should be made to this rule for naps, but there is a particular system that may be of interest to you.

Best Events to Follow the Tipsters' Advice

The world of horse racing is full of exciting events throughout the calendar year. You will find significant races, such as the Triple Crown in the US, the Everest in Australia, and the Dubai World Cup in the UAE. However, none are compared in prestige with the best UK events. Below, you can find our detailed guides for the top ones: 

⏩ Grand National Tips and Predictions

⏩ Cheltenham Festival Betting Guide

⏩ Royal Ascot Betting Tips

Where to Bet the Naps?

What is the Nap Attack System?

A popular way of approaching the horse nap of the day is to employ the nap attack strategy. First, you leave any recommended bet by an expert that has a price of evens (2.00) or shorter alone. The nap attack system encourages you as a bettor to back any naps that are priced at better than evens but below odds of 4/1 (5.00).

However, you have to put the same amount of money on these wagers, whether the price is 11/10 (2.10) or 11/4 (3.75), even though the returns will differ. With any horse racing naps that have odds of 4/1 or higher, the nap attack system recommends that you back them each way.

Using a unit stake again, you are betting on such horses both to win and finish in a place. Remember, the number of runners and the type of race determines what place terms will be offered. A €5 each-way bet on a horse at odds of 6/1 (7.00) pays €30 profit on the win bet and €6 profit for the place if terms are a fifth of outright odds or €10 profit for a quarter.

Which Selections Should I Choose?

Before choosing naps, it is worth evaluating which tipsters to follow and why. Using a nap table allows you to see which experts are in-form and tipping winners right now. You are not honour-bound to follow just one tipster, though.

If you find yourself agreeing with the analysis or reasoning why an expert is putting forward a specific horse, then that firms up your thinking and assessment. If a few or several tipsters put forward the same horse nap of the day, then that suggests it is a well-fancied runner.

This is one occasion where you will want to consider placing a bet on it seriously. In contrast, sometimes, there is no consensus among the experts about a race or card, and they have different naps. This means the race is wide-open, and it may be a day just to watch events unfold rather than place bets. 

Where Can I Find Naps?

All of the leading national newspapers employ horse racing tipsters who give naps each and every day in print. There are also sport-specific publications that offer selections on all races. These experts provide betting tips for a living and do so online.

While they won’t be right all the time with their naps, their picks should be winning more often than not. To see how the national press and horse racing specialists are doing, you can view the nap tables online, which record their performance.

Are Naps Layable?

In the event there is no value in backing a horse racing nap to win; then you may want to consider laying it to lose. To do this, you need to use a betting exchange. This sees you gamble against other bettors rather than a bookmaker’s fixed-odds prices.

You set the odds and wait for another bettor to take you up on the lay bet. While not all naps become favourites in betting on sportsbooks, many do. It is well known that about two-thirds of horse racing favourites fail to win on average. So, on that basis, laying a nap could prove wise.

Remember, no tipster can be right with their predictions all the time. If you don’t rate a nap, then consider laying it, but be prepared for the risks, and learn to recognize the differences between exchange betting and backing horses through fixed odds.

Final Questions to Answer before you Bet?

Before betting on or laying a nap in horse racing, you should ask yourself these questions. Has it won in the class or grade before? If so, that’s a plus. If not, has it had runs at this level in the past? How much potential does the horse have for further improvement? Should you feel there is further progress in it, then that is a reason to bet on it.

Some naps will be put forward by experts because of their scope to prove even better than the previous form. How favourable are the race conditions? If the Nap doesn’t have a penalty, a favorable draw, and official ratings say it’s the best horse in the race, then these are pluses.

Carrying extra weight despite the past form that might be at a higher level, is negative. If the Nap comes from a handicap, how well-treated is it? Excellent racing weight is preferable to top weight. What is the horse’s optimum trip? A nap should be running on the ground and over a distance, which suits it well.

If not, then that is a drawback to betting on the horse. Tipsters do have a difficult time predicting what the going will be when coming up with their picks. The weather is so changeable, but you want to be backing a nap in the most favourable conditions possible.

Will I be Profitable Betting on Naps?

When it comes to horse racing naps of the day, you can see how experts are doing with their tips by using a nap table. Arm yourself with that information and a little further research specific to the horses they have picked out for certain races. Look out for races on which many experts agree and the values in the betting market.

There is definitely value in following naps, especially for those who are not sure how to pick a winning horse; just don't do it blindly. It is an excellent way to start betting on horses, but make sure to develop your own strategy and opinion in the process. Deciding when to use them and when not to is critical. If you can’t get a decent price, then laying a nap is always an option open to you.

Full List of Horse Racing Betting Sites