Welch is aboard the right one

EDMONTON, Alberta Quincy Welch is set to reclaim the Northlands riding title he relinquished to Rickey Walcott last season and may well add to his insurmountable lead on the penultimate day of the 61-day stand aboard Lasting Lake in Saturdays eighth race.

The nominal feature for fillies and mares has attracted a field of nine entered for claiming prices of $17,500 and will be run over 6 1/2 furlongs.

Welch has already won a pair of races at this stand with Lasting Lake, 5-year-old who shipped in from Hastings early in the summer and found the change in venue to her liking. In her bid for three straight wins with Welch up, Lasting Lake ran into a very tough R Beau Genes last out and settled for second in the $30,000 claimer.

Trainer Stu Simon, who won the spring training title at Stampede Park with the help of several such transplants from the West Coast ridden by Welch, takes a double drop in class with Lasting Lake here.

All five of Lasting Lakes victories have come at this distance, and with a favorable draw of post 2 she figures to be on or near the early lead in this field.

Ribbon Creek, who has come to life in her last three outings with a pair of tallies and a second-place finish for trainer Janet Wig, breaks just outside of Lasting Lake. Desmond Bryan will be looking to fashion a stalking trip for Ribbon Creek.

Chela, Get Ready for This, Zip and Zap, and Q Magic also won their last start.