on some old systems i have the word welter crops up can anyone tell me exactly what it means
thanks

Back when the race class structure was different, leaving aside listed and group races along with wfa and set weight races, there were three classes of open handicaps they being (in class order): open, welter and highweight.

Highweights disappeared a few years ago (there always used to be a least one arun at Flemington on Cup Day) and they could best be described as being for low grade horses who had no where else to go - couldn't run in the restricted races and not good enough to run against the better open handicappers.

Welters were still run in Sydney, mainly at the midweek meetings until about three years ago, but they've now disappeared, but they still run them in Brisbane and Perth (they run races in Melbourne carrying that race class but they are not true welters, being more of races with restrictions such as Rs1WinLY or something similar).

Welters are races where the minimum weight in higher than an open handicap and are generally contested by older horses past their best or the younger ones on the up thru their classes. Very good races to bet on as usually there are only a very few genuine chances.

Some on this forum may well remember the old saying, always back the topweight in a welter, for the very simple reason they had a very good strike-rate in such races as class often prevailed.

Jeez, La Mer, you should be a teacher...that was educational and interesting mate.

And all true as well. I used to love Welters over a mile where all the form was exposed..... too easy.

thanks Le Mer
that was very informative info i will watch for these sort of races in future
following what was said about backing the topweight
MONDAY
BR3 VO ROGUE WELTER HCP
#1 57kg $9.4 5th pick
#2 57kg $4.1 2nd pick (3RD/NTD)
#3 57kg $7.1 3rd pick (WON)
#4 56kg $1.9 fav/100 RATER
#5 54.5 $7.3 4th pick (2ND)
#6 54.0 $60/1
#7 54.0 $125/1
SO FOLLOWING THE THREE TOPPIES IN THIS RACE GOT THE WINNER AT $7.10
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE INFO
CYA

Hi All,

isn't a "transitional" just the old welter under a different name ?

Cheers,
Chris.

[quote]
On 2004-03-10 10:22, stebbo wrote:
isn't a "transitional" just the old welter under a different name ?

Chris: "Paul Bloodworth of the NSW Handicapper's Panel describes transitional handicaps as the following: With regard to transitionals, they are not necessarily replacing class 6 handicaps, although they are designed to give that horse an option. You may be aware that no class 5 or 6 races will be programmed in NSW any more. They are actually Open Handicaps that will be handicapped around a class 6 scale and are designed to compliment stronger open handicaps programmed around them and provide the weaker type horse an option. This will normally result in them being at least 4kgs weaker and sometimes 8 kg weaker than open handicaps, in any area."

So alhough similar to welters they are not quite the same. Anyway they are being phased out in Sydney at least, if not throughtout NSW, as more changes to programming are introduced.