Country galloper in tilt at Doomben

QUEENSLAND’S most prolific winning horse in the past 12 months, De Villiers, is set for his first start for trainer Ben Currie, who has won the state’s most races for the same period.

Former country galloper De Villiers will be making his Brisbane debut in today’s Sky Racing Handicap (1200m) at Doomben.

Currie had a double at Ipswich on Wednesday, which took him to 107 winners overall for the season.

De Villiers won the Charleville Cup (1620m) by six lengths in November, taking his Queensland record to 10 wins and a second.

Trained and part-owned by Barry Sheppard at Cunnamulla, the regally bred De Villiers, who is by Redoute’s Choice out of Pure Beauty, arrived in Western Queensland last March.

He had raced eight times in NSW for one minor placing but De Villiers quickly took to country life.

In the 12 months since, his only loss has been a second placing behind country star Fab’s Cowboy at Charleville in July.

Sheppard, who bought De Villiers off the internet, rarely comes to the city, although he had success with a horse called El Tempestad in the early 2000s.

It was decided to give De Villiers his chance in city racing with Currie, who is preparing for a big winter carnival and, in particular, next week’s Weetwood meeting in Toowoomba, but is looking forward to De Villiers’ debut for the stable.

“De Villiers has been with us a while and it will be interesting to see how he measures up,” Currie said.

Currie is hoping to win his second Weetwood with last week’s Doomben winner Amanaat, and his second Toowoomba Cup with Honey Toast.