What is a NAP in horse racing?
A NAP is a tipster’s most confident selection of the day — the bet they would single out above all others on that card. The term comes from Napoleon, supposedly the highest card in a game of that name. In practice, most newspaper tipsters and tipping columns name one NAP per day, often alongside an NB (note best, their second-best selection) and a treble. These labels are conventional but carry no statistical meaning beyond the tipster’s own confidence level.
How to evaluate a tipster's track record
A single tipster’s NAP record over one month means nothing statistically. A meaningful sample requires at least 150-200 selections at similar odds to draw any conclusion about whether the tipster adds value over the starting price. Most published tipping columns do not share audited profit-and-loss records. When evaluating a tipster, look for independently verified results, consistent strike rate, and return on investment (ROI) figures — not headline picks or anecdotal winning runs.
Return on investment matters more than strike rate
A tipster with a 30% strike rate at average odds of 5/1 is more profitable than one with a 40% strike rate at average odds of 6/4. The number of winners divided by bets (strike rate) is easier to tout than ROI but tells you far less about whether following the tips makes long-run financial sense. Demand ROI figures, not just winners. And remember: even a genuinely profitable tipster’s edge, if it exists at all, may disappear as market attention to their selections drives prices down.
Tips as research prompts, not certainties
The most defensible use of a racing NAP is as a starting point for your own research — a suggestion of which horse merits closer study on a particular card. Looking at the race card, the horse’s form, the going conditions and the opposition before deciding whether you agree with the tipster is vastly more valuable than following blindly. No tip eliminates the fundamental uncertainty of horse racing. 18+ — Gambling Awareness Trust: 1800 753 753.
Frequently Asked Questions
NAP stands for Napoleon, taken from a card game where it was the highest card. In horse racing tipping, it refers to a tipster's most confident selection of the day — the one they would back above all others on that card.
It depends entirely on the tipster's verified long-run record. A single month of winners proves nothing. Look for independently audited results over 150+ selections, with return on investment (ROI) figures, not just strike rate. Most free tipping columns do not share this data.
NAP is the tipster's top selection of the day — their most confident pick. NB (note best) is their second-best selection. Some columns also name a treble combining NAP, NB and a third selection. These labels are conventional and subjective; they do not represent any standardised confidence scale.
18+ only. Gambling can be addictive. Play responsibly. Gambling Awareness Trust — 1800 753 753 — gamblingcare.ie. GRAI licence: GRAI-0191-RB-26-0001.