Guides

Short, practical explanations of the things a racing page assumes you already know. No tips, no selections, no affiliate links.

• Naps tables: how tipsters are scored

  Level stakes, starting prices, and why the tipster at the top of the table is often not the best one. Includes why strike rate and profit tend to disagree.

• How to read a racecard

  Every abbreviation on a British card: form figures and what the dashes and slashes mean, the draw, weights, official ratings and the headgear letters.

• Each-way betting explained

  Two bets in one, with the standard place terms by field size and a worked example. Also the price below which a placed horse still loses you money.

• Napoleon: the card game behind the nap

  The 1875 game that briefly took over England, the bid that meant winning all five tricks, and how it became a word for a tipster's best selection.

Looking for a single term rather than a guide? Try the glossary.