Best of the Best is a racing win bet type whereby the bettor is guaranteed the highest price of either; the Top Fluc (top fluctuation) or the highest dividend declared by the three national totes.
Not all reputable Australia betting sites offer Best of the Best, those that do, only make it available on Saturday metropolitan horse racing. Bets generally need to be placed before the pre-race betting market opens, or 30 minutes before the race start.
The example shows the tote prices, starting price and Top Fluc prices for the first three runners from the 2011 Melbourne Cup. The Best of the Best (BOB) price is far superior to all other prices. Dunaden, the Cup winner, paid a winning dividend of $9.90 on one of the national totes, a price that was 10% higher than the top fluctuation from the official betting ring. Generally, the Top Fluc price will also be the BOB price; however, sometimes, the individual totes throw up some great value as was the case for the 2011 Melbourne Cup.
Best of the Best is the most useful racing bet type on the market. It guarantees punters the best price available for their bet. The key to successful betting is securing the best price for each bet; over the long run, this will help you come out in front. If you have access to a bet type like Best of the Best or Top Fluc, use it. These products provide much better value than other bet types. If you could lock in an interest rate 10% higher than anywhere else, you’d do it no questions asked. The same goes for betting. The more you bet, the more important the price you secure for each bet becomes.
There are situations where it may not be as beneficial to use Best of the Best over other products. For example, this can be the case when there are betting promotions at stake. If a betting agency is offering a bonus bet refund for the first four places, it may pay to place a fixed odds bet and satisfy the conditions needed to qualify for the promotion, rather than be guaranteed a higher dividend if the horse wins.
Bookmakers generally don’t allow bonus bets to be used in conjunction with Best of the Best either.