Welch on the double at Stampede Park

CALGARY: Champion jockey Quincy Welch continued his unbridled run at the top of the Stampede Park riders’ standings with two winners on Saturday’s nine-race programme. Barbadian Welch won the fourth and seventh races and rushed to 28 wins in the 13-day-old season to extend his lead in the standings over Real Simard (13). His Barbadian colleague Desmond Bryan, fifth in the standings, rode his eighth winner of the season when he captured the second race on the card.  Riding the 9-2 third favourite Kj’s Wedding Photo, Bryan set the pace with the three-year-old filly and posted a two-length victory in the six-furlong sprint.

Welch, eyeing a fourth consecutive hold on the Stampede Park title, landed the first of his two wins with the 9-5 favourite Beautiful Dreamer in the fourth race. He stalked the leaders, and overcame some traffic problems on the final turn before scoring aboard Beautiful Dreamer by one length. In the seventh race, Welch who has not lost an Alberta riding title — Northlands Park included — since 2001, guided the hot 6-5 favourite Mischievous Merlin to a three-and-a-half length victory. He held the five-year-old gelding in fourth spot down the backstretch of the six-furlong sprint, took control entering the home-stretch and coasted to a solid win as the 52-1 outsider Gomka ran on to take second. Current jockeys standings: 1. Quincy Welch 28 wins; 2. Real Simard 13; 3. Perry Winters 11; 4. Frank Gonsalves 9; 5. Desmond Bryan 8; 6. Leanne Painter, Stephan Heiler, Rickey Walcott 7; 9. Ron Blinston, Gary Stein 5. (CMC)