For anyone following UK and Irish horse racing, the Racing Post NAPs table is a daily reference point. It collects the strongest selection — the “NAP” — from dozens of newspaper and online tipsters, then tracks how each one performs over time. Bettors use it to compare tipsters, spot consensus picks, and get a quick read on where confidence is highest for any given race day.
The table is updated every racing morning and includes stats such as win rate, profit or loss based on a level £1 stake, and the number of bets placed. It is freely accessible on the Racing Post website and also powers the Press Challenge, a year-long competition among tipsters. While the data is official and authoritative, understanding what lies behind the numbers matters more than simply following every pick.
What Is the Racing Post NAPs Table?
The NAPs table is a daily leaderboard that aggregates the best bet of the day — the NAP — from leading tipsters across UK and Irish newspapers, websites, and racing services. Each tipster’s selections are tracked at level stakes, meaning every NAP carries a theoretical £1 bet, making it easy to compare performance across the panel. The table includes the horse name, race time, course, tipster publication, and current profit or loss.
Daily Updates
Naps table refreshed each racing day
Tipsters Tracked
Over 20 tipsters from UK/Ireland press
Press Challenge
Year-long tipping competition
Free Access
No subscription required
- The Racing Post NAPs table is the most authoritative source for daily nap selections, gathering picks from national and regional press tipsters.
- The table includes win rate, profit/loss, and number of bets, enabling bettors to identify consistent tipsters.
- Sporting Life offers a similar table with a slightly different tipster panel, giving users a second independent source.
- Understanding the Press Challenge rules helps users interpret long-term performance versus daily variance.
- Multi-napped horses — those selected by three or more tipsters — often indicate strong consensus but do not guarantee results.
- The table is updated before the first race each day, with results added after racing concludes.
- Tipster absences on certain days affect rankings, so a single day’s table should be viewed as part of a larger pattern.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Publication | Racing Post (owned by Reach plc) |
| Update Frequency | Every racing day, typically before first race |
| Number of Tipsters | ~25 (varies by day) |
| Competition | Press Challenge (annual) |
| Free Access | Yes, on Racing Post website |
| Mobile Friendly | Responsive table view |
| Historical Data | Only current year/month records available |
How to View Today’s Racing Post NAPs Table
Accessing the latest NAPs table requires no login or payment. The page lives on the Racing Post website and loads each racing day with the current selections sorted by tipster profitability. You can view it on desktop or mobile with equal ease — the table is fully responsive.
Where to Find the Free NAPs Table Today
The official page is at the Racing Post NAPs Table. It lists each tipster’s name, publication, today’s nap selection, the race time and course, and the running level-stakes profit. There is no subscription barrier. The same page also links to complementary free expert tips, including a NAP of the Day and analysis for every UK and Irish race.
When Is the Table Updated?
The table is typically refreshed each racing morning before the first race. Results are added after each race finishes, so profit and loss figures shift throughout the day. If you check late in the afternoon, most results will already be reflected. The table does not archive daily snapshots, so yesterday’s full table is not available — only the running annual and monthly records remain.
Can You See Yesterday’s NAPs Table?
Racing Post does not publish a searchable archive of individual daily tables. The only historical data accessible is the current year’s running totals and the monthly Press Challenge records. For bettors who want to review past performance, the Press Challenge leaderboard provides the most complete picture of long-term tipster results.
The table sorts tipsters by profit, but daily rankings can fluctuate. A more reliable approach is to look at the number of bets placed alongside the win rate. Tipsters with hundreds of bets and a consistent win rate above 25% tend to be more dependable than those with a short, lucky run. Cross-referencing with the Press Challenge standings adds another layer of context.
Sporting Life NAPs Table vs Racing Post: What’s the Difference?
Both Racing Post and Sporting Life operate publicly accessible NAPs tables that track newspaper and online tipsters. The structures are similar — each shows the tipster, selection, win-loss record, and profit based on a £1 stake. However, the tipster panels differ slightly, and each site has its own in-house contributors.
Which Source Has a Larger Panel?
Racing Post typically includes around 25 tipsters on a given day, drawn from national newspapers (The Times, Daily Mirror, The Guardian, Daily Mail), regional titles, and specialist racing services. Sporting Life’s table is slightly smaller but includes their own in-house tipster Ben Linfoot alongside familiar names like Templegate and Marlborough. The Sporting Life Naps Table is updated daily and free to access.
Is One More Accurate Than the Other?
Neither source claims superior accuracy over the other. Both use the same methodology — level-stakes tracking of published naps — and both rely on the same underlying race results. The main difference is the composition of the tipster panel. Bettors who want a broader view can compare both tables. When the same horse appears as the nap pick across multiple tipsters on both sites, that consensus can be informative.
Does Sporting Life Offer a Free Table?
Yes. Sporting Life’s naps table is entirely free, with no paywall or registration required. It mirrors the Racing Post format and includes similar columns: tipster, publication, wins-losses, and £1 stake profit. For users who want a second opinion or a slightly different set of tipsters, it is a straightforward alternative.
How the Racing Post Press Challenge Works
The Press Challenge is the official annual tipping competition that runs through the NAPs table. Each tipster starts with a theoretical £1,000 bank and places £1 level stakes (starting price) on every selection they tip across all races, excluding Bank Holidays. The competition tracks turnover, win rate, favourite-tipping percentage, and bank growth.
What Are the Rules and Prizes?
The challenge runs for the full racing year. The overall winner receives £2,000, and the best monthly performer gets £100. Rankings are based on the percentage of the original £1,000 bank that remains after all bets. The table also shows how many of a tipster’s selections were favourites, which gives insight into their risk profile. The official Racing Post Press Challenge page publishes the current standings.
Who Are the Top Tipsters This Year?
According to current Press Challenge records, Melissa Jones of the Daily Express leads with a turnover rate above 90%, meaning she has committed most of her theoretical bank through bets. Jason Heavey of The Star follows closely. “The Favourite” — a theoretical portfolio that bets only on the market favourite in every race — sits third with a 100% favourite-tipped rate and a 37% win rate, illustrating the benchmark that human tipsters are measured against. Other consistent performers include The Guardian’s tipster, Rob Wright of The Times, and Marlborough of The Telegraph.
Press Challenge rankings reflect performance over a specific period. They are calculated using starting price odds, which may differ from the odds available to punters at the time of the race. A tipster who appears at the top in January may not hold that position by December. Rankings should be treated as one data point, not a guarantee of future results.
Using the NAPs Table for Betting: Tips and Insights
The NAPs table is a tool for research, not a betting system. Its main value lies in showing which tipsters are performing well over many bets and which horses are attracting multiple nap selections on a given day. When three or more tipsters independently pick the same horse as their NAP, that horse becomes a consensus pick — but even consensus does not eliminate risk.
How to Interpret Multiple NAPs on the Same Horse
When a horse appears in the NAPs table from several different tipsters, it signals unusually strong confidence across the press. Some community systems, such as those discussed on forums like theracingforum.co.uk, have back-tested this approach and reported win rates around 58% when backing horses tipped by three or more tipsters. However, sample sizes and timeframes vary, and such figures should not be taken as predictive.
Which Tipsters Have the Best Track Record?
Looking at the current NAPs table, Matt Polley of the Ipswich Star shows the highest level-stakes profit at +31.33, followed by Newmarket from Racing Post at +16.15 and The Data Detective from RaceiQ at +14.76. These figures reflect performance over the current tracking period. It is worth noting that profit totals can shift rapidly — a single long-odds winner can move a tipster significantly up the rankings.
Should You Back Every NAP Selection?
Backing every nap from every tipster on a given day is unlikely to be profitable over the long term. Even the best-performing tipsters in the Press Challenge have win rates around 25-27%, meaning three out of four selections lose. The table is best used as a filtering tool — for identifying tipsters with consistency, for spotting consensus picks, and for understanding the range of opinions before making your own decision.
How Often Is the NAPs Table Updated and What Are Yesterday’s Results?
The NAPs table updates every racing day. New selections appear before the first race, and results are added throughout the afternoon as races conclude. Individual daily tables from previous days are not archived in a searchable format, but the cumulative records for the current year and the current month remain visible on the Press Challenge page.
- Before racing: NAP selections are published for the day’s meetings.
- During racing: Results are posted race by race, updating profit and loss in real time.
- After the final race: The day’s results are complete, and running totals adjust accordingly.
- Monthly close: Press Challenge monthly winners are recorded and displayed.
- Year end: The annual Press Challenge winner is determined and published.
- New year: The table resets for the next racing calendar.
How Reliable Are the Rankings and Tipster Records on the NAPs Table?
The NAPs table is reliable as a record of what tipsters published and how those selections performed at starting price. The data is official and updated systematically. However, several factors limit how much weight a bettor should place on any single ranking.
| Established Information | Information That Remains Unclear |
|---|---|
| The naps table is updated daily with official selections from listed tipsters. | Past tipster performance does not guarantee future results. |
| Win rates and P&L are calculated based on published results. | Odds fluctuations on the day may affect actual returns achievable by punters. |
| Press Challenge rules are publicly documented. | Some tipsters may miss days; absences affect rankings. |
| Level-stakes tracking enables fair comparison across tipsters. | Starting price odds used in the table may differ from best available odds. |
What Is the Background and History of the Racing Post NAPs Table?
The NAPs table originated in the print edition of the Racing Post, where it appeared as a small box listing the best bets from newspaper racing correspondents. In the days before digital aggregation, it was a simple way for readers to see which horses the country’s leading tipsters fancied most. Over time, it evolved into a digital daily-updated leaderboard that also powers the Press Challenge.
Today, the table is widely referenced by UK horse racing bettors as a quick source of consensus picks. The digital format allows for real-time updates, sorting by profit, and deeper statistical breakdowns. Third-party sites such as HorseRacing.net and betHQ also aggregate nap selections, often drawing from the same pool of tipsters. Community platforms like OLBG run their own tipping competitions, claiming outperformance over newspaper selections in some cases.
The term “NAP” itself has a longer history in racing journalism, denoting a tipster’s most confident pick of the day. It remains a standard convention across UK and Irish racing media.
Where Do the Tips in the NAPs Table Come From?
The tips are published by racing correspondents working for national and regional newspapers, racing websites, and specialist services. Each tipster submits their NAP — their single best bet of the day — which is then collected and displayed in the table. The Racing Post does not select or filter these picks; it simply aggregates them. The Sporting Life table works the same way, drawing from a slightly different set of contributors including their own expert Ben Linfoot.
“Discover the Racing Post NAPs table that details the most confident racing tips of the day sorted by leading tipsters across various publications.”
— Racing Post NAPs Table
“Today’s naps table and records of the best horse racing tipsters in the UK and Ireland, including Sporting Life’s Ben Linfoot.”
— Sporting Life Naps Table
Tipsters range from longstanding national newspaper names — Rob Wright at The Times, Newsboy at the Daily Mirror, Marlborough at The Telegraph — to regional specialists and data-driven services such as RP Ratings and RaceiQ. The diversity of the panel means the table captures a broad cross-section of opinion.
What Is the Key Takeaway from the Racing Post NAPs Table?
The Racing Post NAPs table provides a daily, free, and authoritative snapshot of what the UK and Irish racing press consider the best bets of the day. Its value lies in transparency — every tipster’s record is visible, every selection is tracked, and the methodology is consistent. Used as a research tool alongside the Racing Post Press Challenge, it helps bettors make more informed decisions. It does not, however, remove the uncertainty inherent in horse racing. No table, no tipster, and no system can guarantee results.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “nap” mean in horse racing tips?
A “nap” is the tipster’s best bet of the day — the selection they are most confident will win. The term comes from print journalism.
Is the Racing Post NAPs table free?
Yes, it is freely accessible on the Racing Post website without a subscription.
Can I see past naps tables?
Racing Post currently only shows records for the current year and month. Individual daily tables are not archived.
What is the Press Challenge?
The Press Challenge is an annual competition among tipsters listed in the NAPs table, tracked by profit and loss over the racing year.
Which is better — Racing Post or Sporting Life naps table?
Both are similar in structure. Racing Post has a larger panel; Sporting Life includes their own in-house tipster. Bettors may compare both for consensus.
How often is the naps table updated?
The table is typically updated each racing day before the first race, and results are added after racing.
How are naps table rankings calculated?
Rankings are based on level-stakes profit and loss, using starting price odds. Win rate and number of bets are also displayed.
Can I follow individual tipster performance?
Yes. Each tipster’s running profit, win rate, and total bets are shown in the table and in the Press Challenge records.
What is a multi-napped horse?
A multi-napped horse is one selected as the NAP by three or more tipsters on the same day. It signals strong consensus but does not guarantee a win.
Are third-party naps tables reliable?
Sites like HorseRacing.net and betHQ aggregate data from similar sources but may have different panels or update schedules. Cross-reference with official tables.
Henry William Morgan Harrison is a staff writer for NorwichWire.co.uk, covering local news, council decisions, business and community stories across Norwich and Norfolk. He works under Editor-in-Chief William Hargreaves and Managing Editor Clara Benson, following the newsroom standards for sourcing, verification and fact-checking set out in our editorial policies.