Toowoomba sprinter Azzaland convinced trainer Ritchie Stephenson he was worthy of an interstate campaign following a narrow win at Doomben.Backing up following his six-length defeat by Burdekin Blues at Eagle Farm last week, Azzaland ($4) held off a determined finish by $2.50 favourite Simplest to score by a long head in the Open Handicap (1010m).Simplest, who was vying for a trip to Sydney with stablemate Burdekin Blues, had the toughest of runs after being caught four deep in the early stages
Toowoomba sprinter Azzaland convinced trainer Ritchie Stephenson he was worthy of an interstate campaign following a narrow win at Doomben.
Backing up following his six-length defeat by Burdekin Blues at Eagle Farm last week, Azzaland ($4) held off a determined finish by $2.50 favourite Simplest to score by a long head in the Open Handicap (1010m).
Simplest, who was vying for a trip to Sydney with stablemate Burdekin Blues, had the toughest of runs after being caught four deep in the early stages but still fought on gallantly for the runner-up's prize.
In a day of frustration for trainer Barry Baldwin, Simplest's stablemate Nericon King, who finished fourth, bled for a second time which means his career in Australia is over.
Stephenson was not surprised Azzaland turned his form around after declaring 12 months ago the four-year-old was potentially the best sprinter he's trained.
Azzaland, who took his record to nine wins and two placings in 13 starts, blotted his copybook for the first time this campaign when runner-up to Langfibian in the Bat Out Of Hell Quality (900m) at the Gold Coast on January 3 before being outclassed by Burdekin Blues last start.
His only unplaced runs were in May and June last year but it was later discovered he had a bone chip which was removed from his near-hind leg by keyhole surgery.
"He can't do any more here. He won well and did it with a big weight," Stephenson said.
"He's a good little horse and I might take him away now.
"He's nominated for the Newmarket Handicap in Melbourne but I'm not sure if he'll go straight there or go to Sydney first."
Stephenson had only one reservation about an interstate campaign.
"I've been a great believer in what old Jim Griffiths used to tell me," he said.
"Jim used to say - `Let them come to you son and don't go to them'."
Griffiths, who died in the late 1990s and was inducted into the Hall Of Fame in Queensland five years ago, had few peers in a stellar training career.
Among many feature race triumphs for Griffiths were Group One wins with Cachondeo in the 1970 Brisbane Cup and Knee High in the 1972 Doomben Cup.
During the 1975 Brisbane winter carnival he won three times at the elite level, in the Stradbroke Handicap and Doomben 10,000 with Spedito as well as another Doomben Cup with Golden Khan.
Meanwhile a glum Baldwin refused to rule out Simplest heading to Sydney with Burdekin Blues next week.
"It was a good run but he had a tough run throughout the race," he said.
Simplest's rider Larry Cassidy thought he had Azzaland's measure several times in the straight despite a wide passage.
"He began okay but we got caught wide. The winner kept sticking his head out each time I thought I had him," Cassidy said.