Bets open on Holden staying in Top 3

Online bookmaker Sportsbet is having another dabble at predicting the unpredictable tastes of Australian new-car buyers. After last year opening the betting for Australia’s top-selling car, it has now turned its attention to top-selling car brands.

At the centre of the latest campaign is whether Holden will still be inside the top three sellers by the end of 2013 -- after it was knocked off the podium for the first time ever, by Nissan in February and Hyundai in March.

Holden returned to the top three sellers in April, ranking second behind Toyota and ahead of Mazda, but it is third when the year-to-date tally is calculated.

Sportsbet is paying $1.50 for Holden to finish second, $2.50 to finish third, $6 for fourth, and $13 for fifth or lower. For the true diehards, the bookie is offering $26 if Holden knocks off Toyota, market leader for the past 10 years in a row and which last month outsold second and third-place manufacturers combined.

“It appears unlikely that Holden will boot Toyota from the top spot, priced as a $26 long shot,” says a statement from Sportsbet. But it adds that Holden is likely to recover later in the year with the arrival of the sharper priced VF Commodore, the Trax compact SUV and other models.

“Currently holding on to third position, Holden’s sales are expected to accelerate with an aggressive new pricing strategy and finish second in the ranks, priced as the $1.50 market favourite. With sizeable price cuts set to be introduced on new Holden models, the market suggests that prospective car buyers will stay loyal to the Aussie carmaker, and boost Holden’s ranking to second.”

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling