A NAP is a tipster’s single most confident selection of the day — the one bet they would make if they could only make one. The term comes from the card game Napoleon, where “going nap” means bidding to win every trick. In Irish and UK racing columns, the NAP is the headline tip and the NB (next best) is the second-strongest pick.
What NAP and NB mean on a tips page
Every racing column, from the Racing Post to Irish daily papers, marks its daily selections the same way. The NAP is the tipster’s banker — their highest-confidence selection across all of the day’s racing, not necessarily the shortest-priced favourite. The NB (next best) is the backup pick. Some columns add an “each-way NAP” for a bigger-priced selection backed to win or place.
Important: a NAP is a statement of confidence, not a guarantee. Even the best-known tipsters go through losing runs with their NAPs, and no pronostic is ever guaranteed.
How to judge a NAP tipster honestly
The only measure that matters is level-stakes profit over a long sample — what you would have won or lost backing every NAP to the same stake. Strike rate alone is misleading: a tipster napping odds-on favourites can win 60% of the time and still lose you money. Ask three questions:
- Is the full record published? Reputable columns show every NAP, including losers. Be wary of anyone who only shows winners.
- What are the typical odds? Profit at average odds of 4/1 over 200 NAPs means real judgement; profit at 1/2 over 20 picks means nothing yet.
- Is the sample big enough? Under 100 selections, luck dominates skill. Naps tables that track a full season are the fairest comparison.
Where to find NAPs for Irish racing
The Racing Post naps table tracks dozens of UK and Irish tipsters daily and ranks them by level-stakes profit — it is the standard reference. Irish papers and radio racing slots publish their own NAPs for Leopardstown, the Curragh, Fairyhouse, Punchestown and the cross-channel cards. For today’s meetings and how to use tips alongside your own form reading, see our Irish racing tips guide and NAP tips explained.
Using NAPs without losing the run of yourself
Treat a NAP as one informed opinion, not an instruction. The sensible pattern: check the NAP against the form yourself, compare the price across GRAI-licensed bookmakers (taking Best Odds Guaranteed where offered), and stake to a plan — our bankroll guide covers staking discipline. Blindly doubling stakes after losing NAPs is the fastest way to turn a small edge into a big loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
A NAP is a tipster's most confident selection of the day — the single bet they'd make if limited to one. The name comes from the card game Napoleon, where "going nap" means bidding to win every trick.
The NAP is the tipster's number-one pick of the day; the NB ("next best") is their second-strongest selection. Both appear in most racing columns' daily tips.
No. A NAP is the tipster's highest-confidence pick, which can be any price. Many profitable NAPs are mid-priced horses the tipster believes the market has underrated.
It varies enormously by tipster. Judge by published level-stakes profit over at least a full season — never by a short winning streak. Even top naps-table tipsters have losing months; no tip is guaranteed.
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