What Does A NAP Mean In Horse Racing?

A NAP is a commonly seen term in the world of horse racing and refers to the best tip of the day from various professionals and tipsters.  

Horse racing can feel like it has a different language with all the terminology referred to.  Add this to all the other considerations such as the different bet types, different track surfaces and conditions and it can seem a little intimidating. 

During this article we’ll look at what a NAP is, is NAP betting a profitable strategy, what it means in horse racing and the different parts that contribute to a NAP.

Why Is It Called A NAP?

This is a bit of a strange one and has absolutely nothing to do with horse racing or sport in general for that matter. It is derived from a French card game called Napoleon.

If a player felt they had a winning hand, they would call ‘NAPoleon’.  Whilst it might seem like a bit of a tenuous link, it’s understandable how it’s found its way into horse racing terms and is used by tipsters.

Why Is A NAP Important In Horse Racing?

• Confidence – When choosing a NAP, the tipster will have thoroughly researched all aspects before deciding. This will include the jockey, the trainer, the horses form and weather conditions. This should provide bettors with confidence that this isn’t a wild punt.

• Market Influence – High profile NAPs can impact the betting odds significantly. There can be sudden drops in odds when a reputable tipster releases their NAP for the day.

• Tipster Reputation – This is always going to based on the tipster’s success rate. Every tipster wants a good reputation so most will do all they can to keep building that reputation. The success rate is vital to a tipster as the better they are, the more people will follow their NAPs.

• Help for Punters – Some days, there can be a large amount of races which can be daunting for new bettors. A NAP can remove all the stress and give bettors the guidance on what to choose. NAPs can also give suggestions for more experienced bettors who want to create a bet with multiples in it.

• Value Bets – A tipster might NAP a horse when it’s odds are high for its chances of winning. Consistency in this area can lead to regular profits.

• Consistency – A tipsters NAPs are frequently used to determine their performance. Regular successful NAPs demonstrate that the tipster is doing their job well and can be relied on.

A NAP can be important information for bettors and help them in making decisions on choices and betting strategies.

Who Provides The NAP?

In horse racing there are tipsters everywhere you look.  Some more reputable than others! These tipsters are there to give their expert opinion on horse racing and advise the public of what they believe the outcome of an event will be. If a tipster provides a NAP, it is the horse they are most confident can win a race on that day.

Occasionally, a trainer will drop a hint that they are confident about a horse they have running and that can influence some tipsters.  Another thing that can influence a NAP being given can be the jockeys.

If a high-profile jockey has been say flown to Ireland for just one race then that can also provide an indication that there are high hopes for that horse. Now, clearly there are no certainties in horse racing and a NAP isn’t not a wild stab in the dark. Racing NAPs are given by knowledgeable industry experts who spend a considerable amount of time researching.

About Tipsters And NAPs

The concept of winning tax-free money from bookmakers is very attractive to everyone and horse racing provides a great platform to do that. However, winning regularly is easier said than done.

This is why bettors sometimes look for a bit of help.  The logic being that having an expert in your corner should increase your profits but will following tipsters increase your winnings?

There are many trusted tipsters around the world and they each give their NAP of the day when the races are on.  Their objective is to provide bettors with help to make informed choices on bets based on their analysis and expertise.

A NAP and tipsters go hand in hand so what do you need to consider? 

• Knowledge - Tipsters will normally have vast knowledge of the horse racing markets they’re covering. This means they make informed decisions and advice based on their experience.

• Data - A decent tipster will spend a lot of time researching their market. This will include analysis of track conditions, trainers, jockeys and historical performances.

• Offering - Do they offer a daily NAP, a NB (Next Best) second choice and potential long shot tips?

• Reputation – As you’d expect, the reputation of a tipster is attributed to their success rate. A successful tipster will have a good following and credibility.  See if you can find any feedback online.

• Funds – Whilst a NAP might be provided by an industry expert, it is not a guaranteed winner so never bet more than you can afford.

Availability – a tipsters credibility should be fine when using big publications such as newspapers and websites.  However, you should tread carefully with tipsters who only operate on social media. It’s worth doing a bit of research on anybody you’re thinking of following.

What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Betting On A NAP?

Advantages

• Saves Time – You can let the tipsters do the work for you so you don’t need to analyse the races and markets.

• Expert Knowledge – You can enhance your chances of winning by using the information provided by a good tipster.

• Educational – Punters can listen to the advice from a tipster to learn what they need to look out for when considering their bets.

• Reduced Risk – As the NAP is the tipsters most confident pick, the horses chances of winning are higher.

Disadvantages

• Dependence – Only following a tipsters NAPs can lead to complacency. Learning to do your own research can occasionally uncover things the tipster missed and even tipsters have the odd off day.

• Market Changes – If a tipster has a large following, odds can reduce quickly when they publish their NAP.  If you don’t back the NAP quick enough and the odds shorten, the value of the bet is reduced and so will your returns on a winner.

• Lack of Variety – Betting solely on a NAP limits your chances of winning and can lead to missed opportunities on other horses and races.

How Do Bettors Use NAP Strategies?

It’s not always easy to decide a strategy when using NAPs as most people are punting the bet and there are no guarantees with any NAPs or tips. If somebody new to betting decided to look at using NAPs it might be worth considering the following:

• Start Simple – If you’re new to betting, place single win bets on the naps. This will give you a chance to understand the basics before looking at anything more complex such accumulators and each way bets.

• Low Stakes – New bettors are best to use small stakes whilst they get used to the process. This minimises the risk of losing too much money whilst you learn and you can increase your stakes as you get more confident.

• Concentrate on Value – Find horses offering good value instead of looking for naps with high odds.

• Check Odds – use sites like oddschecker.com to compare the odds of the nap across multiple bookmakers. Small differences can soon add up.

• Research – use established horse racing publications to see what the experts and tipsters are saying. You can also try your own analysis to improve your knowledge. Check the form of the NAP, will the race conditions suit it etc.

Who Provides The Best NAP?

Some punters only follow the NAP of certain tipsters, whilst others follow all of a tipsters choices for the day or week.  Some publications such as Sporting Life, The Sun (Templegate) and HorseRacing.net offer NAP of the Day and free tips. Now, these are larger businesses so are a trusted source. There are also paid for tipster and NAP services.

There are some factors you might want to consider if you decide to follow tipsters who provide a daily NAP.

• Performance – Try to check their track record to establish if they’ve provided accuracy and consistency over the last twelve months.

• Clarity – Good tipsters will be open about their achievements. They will provide information about both wins and losses rather than hiding away details of losses.

• Reviews – have a look around to see if there are any testimonials or reviews from previous or current customers that indicate the reliability of the tipster.

• Expertise – Make sure to pick a tipster that specialises in the market you are interested in.

• Cost – Not all tipster services are free. Ensure their feedback justifies what you are asked to pay.

But who is the best?

Research showed that there is no definitive answer for this as each website returns different results.  A simple Google search for the best UK horse racing tipsters will get you started.

From here you will be given various companies that’ll provide their list of the current best tipsters. It really is down to the punter to then sort the ‘wheat from the chaff’. Companies such as olbg.com, honestbettingreviews.com and tipsterreviews.com can provide a list of top tipsters but strangely, no two websites give the same results. You can expect to see relatively basic information:

OLBG

They claim to have over 2000 betting experts active each day. At first glance you are given an overview of who they consider to be their best tipsters and back this up with figures such as annual profits, short term profits, success rate and trends. If you then click on the tipsters name you are provided with a little more in-depth information and a list of their tips for the day, including their reason for each tip. The list OLBG provides seems to focus on individuals rather than tipster companies.

Honest Betting Reviews

Given the company name, it’s no shock that these guys are thorough in selecting the best horse racing tipsters.  They seem to focus on tipping companies rather than individuals.  Before they add anybody to their list, they look at the following:

• ROI (return on investment): They check the return made from each £100 stake. Any ROI over 10% is considered to be good.

• Bankroll: They measure the increase in a tipsters betting balance. Doubling or over indicates considerable growth.

• Win rate: This shows how often the tips/NAPs result in a win.

• Longevity: Short-term achievements could be considered as lucky but a tipster with a history of success demonstrates their skills.

Is Using NAP Bets A Profitable Strategy?

As mentioned before, NAP bets are by no means a guaranteed win so whilst you can use them as part of a betting strategy, it would be unwise to solely rely on NAPs alone. If you want to include NAP bets as part of a strategy, it would be better to diversify your approach. Do your own research on horse form, jockeys, trainers and track conditions as these can influence the success of a NAP.  This should help to reduce risks and increase long term chances of profits. 

One important thing to remember is that the bookies will have an edge over bettors the majority of the time. The secret to improving your chances is take advantage of any mistakes that a bookie makes. You can get more information about that here.

Are NAP And Tip Providers Regulated?

The simple answer is NO. Pretty much anybody could profess to be a tipster and provide a tip or a NAP.  The vast majority of tipsters are genuinely trying to provide customers with their best chance of winning.  However, with no regulations in place, it has the potential to let unscrupulous people get involved.

Mainstream bookmakers such as William Hill, Bet365, Paddy Power and Betfred are a few of the big bookies that offer affiliate programmes to the public.  It’s been known for a lot of tipsters to be affiliated with betting companies which can open an element of risk to unsuspecting bettors and users following tipsters. 

A large proportion of tipsters who are also betting affiliates, operate via social media sites so they have a good reach in the market.  It’s been seen before that when tipsters post their NAP and daily tips, they include a link to back that tip. This is where you need to be careful as that link could be an affiliate referral link.  

It’s very rare that a tipster will make it clear to customers that they have a financial agreement with a betting company. If a customer unwittingly clicks that link and then creates an account with that bookie, an affiliate tipster could benefit from it.

Affiliates can earn a sign up fee and up to 30% from a bookmaker on any of your losses.  So, if you decided to put £100 on their NAP and it lost, they would bag £30. From that point, they would then get up to 30% from any future bets you placed and lost on.  But what if your bet won? Then the stake of £100 is deducted from the affiliates balance.  Based on that scenario, surely you would think the best thing for the affiliate is for their customers to lose their bets.

If a financial adviser told you to invest £100 into company shares, this is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to ensure you aren’t disadvantaged or given bad advice. Even though there are possible risks to customers, nobody governs how tipsters go about their business.  What a tipster does is tantamount to offering financial advice, yet nobody bats an eyelid about it.

That said, it takes a great deal of time and effort to set up an affiliate relationship with bookmakers. This makes it more likely that affiliates are in it for the long haul and not a fast buck.

Indeed, it’s quite possible that enough money can be made from a tipsters sign ups to easily cope with potential losses they’re exposed to.  It’s likely that the majority of affiliate tipsters are genuinely trying to build up a brand and reputation from success.  However, as the saying goes ‘there’s always one’. 

Summary

It’s important to remember that a NAP has no guarantees of success.  They are great as a starting point for bettors to gain industry advice from experts. However, you should use NAPs alongside your own betting strategies.4

Learning how and when to use a NAP can increase your knowledge and has the potential to increase your success rate and ultimately, your profits.  Another thing to remember is that not all NAP providers are good, make sure you do you research on any chosen tipsters that provide NAPS.