Nap of the Day

A nap of the day in horse racing is a tipster's strongest selection — their best bet of the day. The Tipster League tracks selections from our league of expert tipsters every day, identifying the single horse that is attracting the most attention across the platform. If you are looking for today's horse racing nap, our tips section above highlights where the weight of tipster opinion currently sits.

Below, we explain how our nap of the day is selected, where the term comes from, and what to consider before acting on any tipster's nap selection. As with all forms of betting, following tips carries risk, and no selection — however popular — is guaranteed to win.

How The Tipster League Nap of the Day Works

Our nap of the day is the single most popular selection across all tipsters on The Tipster League. Every tipster on our platform has a full, publicly available history of every tip they have ever posted, so you can verify their track record.

Because tipsters publish their selections at different times throughout the day, the nap can change as more tips come in. A horse that leads in the morning may be overtaken by a more popular pick in the afternoon. Once a selection's race has gone off, it is automatically replaced by the next most popular selection that has not yet run. This means the nap shown on the page is always the most tipped horse in a race still to come — you will never see a result that has already happened. The live odds displayed are also subject to change, so it is always worth checking the current price with your bookmaker before placing a bet.

If you are interested in following more than one selection, we also highlight the most popular tips in multi-bet formats. Our horse racing accumulator tips display the four most tipped selections at 3/1 or shorter, while our Lucky 15 tips offer a cover bet alternative for those who prefer not to rely on every selection winning.

Please note: Popularity among tipsters does not equate to a higher chance of winning. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future outcomes. Our nap is based on tipster consensus, not a guarantee of success.

What Does NAP Mean in Horse Racing?

The term "nap" in horse racing refers to a tipster's best bet of the day — the selection they have the most confidence in. It originates from a card game called Napoleon, commonly shortened to Nap, which has been played in England for around 200 years with variations found across Northern Europe. In the card game, "going nap" meant committing fully to a hand, and the phrase was adopted in betting to indicate a tipster's strongest pick.

Newspaper tipsters were the first to use the term, singling out a nap from their daily selections to indicate which horse they fancied most. Many would write under pseudonyms, and the nap selection became the measure by which their performance was judged. Over the course of a flat or jump season, nap results would be tracked in league tables carried by the sporting press, calculated on a level-stake basis.

The History of the Naps Table

The naps table has a long history in British horse racing, providing a way to compare tipsters across different publications on a level playing field. Contributors from national newspapers would each submit a daily nap, with a running league table tracking their results over an entire season. The concept is closely tied to the traditions of the sport itself — the British Horseracing Authority oversees the rules and governance of racing in Great Britain, but the culture of tipping and naps tables grew organically through the sporting press. Modern naps tables typically record winning percentages, number of favourites tipped, current winning or losing sequences, and level-stakes profit or loss.

Although the sporting landscape has changed considerably since the days of pseudonymous newspaper tipsters, naps tables continue to enjoy a following. The principle remains the same: a transparent, verifiable record of each tipster's strongest daily selection. This is something The Tipster League takes further — rather than tracking a single nap per tipster, we publish every tip from every tipster on our platform, creating a complete and publicly accessible history of their selections.

What Is a Next Best (NB) Selection?

Alongside their nap, many tipsters also provide a "next best" or "NB" — their second strongest selection of the day. The NB is typically the pick that came closest to being the nap but was edged out, whether due to a less favourable price, a more competitive field, or other factors the tipster has weighed up.

Some tipsters provide a selection for every race on the card, singling out a nap at each racecourse and a next best from the full day's racing. Others may focus on just a handful of races, making their nap and NB the only tips they offer that day. There are no fixed rules about how a nap or NB should be chosen — it comes down to the individual tipster's approach and what they have found in the form.

How NAP Selections Affect the Betting Market

When a well-followed tipster publishes their nap, it can create noticeable movement in the betting market. A horse that attracts nap selections from several high-profile tipsters may see its price shorten significantly as money flows in. In betting terminology, a horse that is being heavily backed and shortening in price is known as a "steamer". The opposite — a horse drifting to a longer price due to a lack of support — is called a "drifter".

This is one area where our market movers page can be particularly useful. If the nap of the day on The Tipster League coincides with a horse whose price is shortening across bookmakers, that combination of tipster consensus and market confidence is worth being aware of. However, it is important to note that a shortening price does not mean a horse will win — it simply reflects where money is going.

Things to Consider Before Following a NAP

A nap is a tipster's strongest selection, but that does not make it a certainty. Even the best tipsters go through losing runs, and a horse that looks outstanding on paper can be undone by the ground, the draw, a poor jump, or simply a better rival on the day. Approaching any nap selection as one input among several, rather than a decision made for you, is a healthier way to engage with tips.

Check the going — A horse's suitability to the ground can be the difference between winning and running well below form. If conditions have changed since a tipster published their nap, it is worth reassessing.

Course and distance form — A horse that has previously won over the same course and distance has already proven it handles the track, the configuration, and the trip. It is one of the most reliable indicators in form study, though it is no guarantee of a repeat performance.

Look at the tipster's record — On The Tipster League, every tipster's full history is publicly available.

Consider the race type — A nap in a three-runner novice hurdle is a very different proposition to a nap in a 20-runner handicap. The size and competitiveness of the field matters.

Manage your stake — Only bet what you are comfortable losing entirely. A nap is a tipster's strongest opinion, but it is still just an opinion.

Please note: Following tipster selections does not guarantee success. Gambling involves risk, and you should never bet more than you can afford to lose. If you are concerned about your gambling, visit GambleAware.org for free advice and support.