What Does Nap Mean in Horse Racing?

The terminology in horse racing can often be overwhelming, particularly if you are a relative newbie to the sport.

Getting to grips with terms such as Bismarck, Monkey, Pony and many more will undoubtedly help to increase your enjoyment of horse racing.

Nap is another popular term worth knowing and can sometimes help you make a profit on 888 horse racing betting on the Grand National or other big events.

Read on as we take a closer look at the origins of the word nap and explain how it applies to horse racing.

A Background to the Term Nap

The term nap originates from the card game Napoleon, with the player in the game holding the best cards said to have the ‘Napoleon hand’.

Variants of the phrase started to be used in other areas, as highlighted by the shortened ‘nap hand’ term used in horse racing.

For instance, if a trainer had a couple of horses that were strongly fancied for a particular race, he was said to have the nap hand for that event.

The phrase was subsequently shortened to nap and was applied to the selection made by racing tipsters that they felt was the best bet of the day.

How is the Nap Chosen?

Tipsters share the benefit of their wisdom on a variety of platforms including websites, social media, television programmes and newspapers.

In most cases they will make selections for numerous races, but will nominate one that they believe is the best bet amongst their picks.

The nap will be chosen based on a wide range of factors including the horse’s form, race conditions, odds, inside information and more.

Finding a well-informed tipster who gives regular successful nap selections can be a great way to make a profit from betting on horse racing.

Should I Follow Naps?

Much like differences in standards amongst horses, jockeys and trainers, it is fair to say that some tipsters are much better at their job than others.

It always pays to study the form yourself and use the endorsement of a racing expert to inform the selections you make.

Many sites provide profit/loss data on their tipsters, allowing you to see who is currently in good form and whose tips should be treated with caution.

Tipsters often go through hot streaks, so if you find one who is consistently giving winning naps they are certainly worth following.

Who are the Best Tipsters?

Paul Kealy and Tom Segal are two of the best tipsters for UK & Irish racing, with both of them often napping big priced winners.

If international racing is more your thing, Tim Carroll’s tips for racing in Hong Kong often prove to be on the money.

This point was highlighted perfectly by Winning Dreamer’s victory at the end of June – a result which provided Carroll with the fifth winning nap from his last seven selections.

Carroll knows the time of day where Hong Kong racing is concerned and his opinions on the meetings there are always well-informed.