NAP of The Day

Monday's Nap of the Day

17:22 Perth – Lady Mendoza @ 11/1

A new week begins with racing at four venues on British shores, one of which is Perth, where at 17:22, there’s an interesting handicap hurdle of the Class 5 variety.

As the early betting suggests, this is a competitive race, with several holding claims based on one thing or another.

For my money, though, Lady Mendoza looks a little generously priced at early odds of 11/1.

Rebecca Menzies’ mare heads into this contest off the back of a respectable effort at this venue over a shorter trip last time out, running as if this step back up in distance would suit.

Prior to that fourth (of 12), she finished a very respectable third over three miles and one furlong at Cartmel. The best thing about that effort? She held her own in Class 3 company, which bodes well ahead of this weaker Class 5 contest.

If we go back to November, we can see that she finished second in a Class 4 race at Musselburgh, running on well over two miles and four furlongs, again suggesting that this three-mile trip would do the trick. She wasn’t beaten by much that day, splitting a pair that rate clearly above this level, which is not to be ignored.

Much more lightly raced than many in this race, the seven-year-old has more scope for progress than most here, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if she turned out to be capable of competing at a slightly better level once everything clicks.

Factor in that she rates high on the list for recent speed figures, alongside that her trainer has a decent career record at Perth, and odds of 11/1 really do start to look on the large side, especially as she’s previously performed credibly on both good and soft ground.

Put it this way, there’s evidence to suggest that she can get much more competitive than the early odds suggest in a race of this nature, that’s for sure.

What is a Nap of the Day?

If you’re reading this and thinking “what the hell is a Nap of the day?” then don’t worry, here’s an explanation. Horse racing, particularly the betting side of horse racing, is awash with lingo that can seem hard to understand at first, but it’s all quite simple once you know what’s what.

So, what is the nap of the day? A nap, or “the nap of the day” in this case, is simply a way of saying that a particular bet is the best bet of the day. If you see a tipster labelling a particular tip as their “nap” or “nap of the day” then they’re talking about their best bet.

Nap of the Day results

In the table below, you can see all previous selections, odds, and results.

So far, there were nine winning selections. The highest odds that came in were at 9/1 on South Parade, who won in Thirsk on 9 August.

Based on the £10 level stakes example, the running profit is +£90.

MFT Nap of the Day FAQ

How does the Nap of the day differ from other tips?

As mentioned above, a nap of the day is the best bet that a tipster/bettor has to offer on any given day. In this case, it’s my best bet of the day.

Now, “best” can mean a couple of things. For example, the nap could be considered the tip/bet most likely to win on that day. This is what is commonly understood when someone says the word “nap” in the racing community.

However, depending on who you speak to and their view on betting in general, “nap” or “nap of the day” can also mean the bet that represents the most value.

Not necessarily the bet most likely to win, but the bet that is perceived to be the most generously priced. In other words, it’s the bet that offers the most value for money.
What is the difference between a nap and an nb?

“Nb” or “NB” is another common term in the weird and wacky world of betting on horses, and it basically means “next best”.

For example, after the nap, the nb is the next best bet of the day. Therefore, if you see a bet or a tip put up as the “nb”, you know that this basically means that it’s the second-best bet of the day according to that particular tipster/punter.

What is a Nap of the day not?

It’s important to remember that there are absolutely no guarantees when it comes to betting on horses, or when gambling in general. A bet being called a “nap” doesn’t change this.

If a tipster labels a bet as a “nap” or as the “nap of the day” it means that the bet is their best bet of the day. It does not mean that the bet is guaranteed to win.

What is a value bet in horse racing?

I myself fit very much into the value category. What I mean by this is that my nap of the day is always the bet that I believe represents the most value, not necessarily the horse that I believe has the best chance of winning.

Of course, it’s not an exact science, but my method involves looking for horses that I think may be generously priced. Therefore, my nap of the day is the horse that I believe to be most generously priced.

How do I go about choosing my Nap of the day?

Well, for starters, it’s hard to get a proper handle on all the races on any given day.

There’s probably too much racing, so I like to narrow it down a little. I do this by primarily focusing on handicap races, and I typically (not always) focus on handicap races over sprint and middle-distance trips on the flat, while I tend to prefer handicap hurdles over the jumps.

I’m looking for a few things, but I guess what I seek in general are horses that have several things in favour, whether that be track, trip, ground, trainer record/form, handicap rating, course form, whether a horse is well handicapped/potentially been aimed at a race.

I’m also looking at performance patterns, while I’m very much interested in speed ratings and am a firm believer that factoring these in plays a big part in helping to identify value, especially on the flat.

I’m then trying to weigh up whether a horse has more in favour than the available odds have to offer. The horse that I believe has the biggest disparity between what it has in favour and the odds available goes down as the nap of the day.

I should also say that I claim no inside info. I’m not looking for easy winners, nor will I make any audacious claims. I’m simply a keen student of form with lots of experience when it comes to searching for and exploiting what I believe to be value.