Darren Weir jockey John Allen will keep riding for Ciaron Maher

Group 1-winning jockey John Allen admits he faces a huge challenge without the support of Darren Weir but he’s set to play a pivotal role in helping to launch Ciaron Maher’s new Ballarat stable.

Group 1-winning jockey John Allen looks set to play a pivotal role in helping to launch Ciaron Maher’s new Ballarat stable.

Allen, 34, hasn’t ridden this month because of suspension, but resumes on Thursday.

He admitted he faced a huge challenge without the support of trainer Darren Weir, who was handed a four-year disqualification last week.

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This season 360 of Allen’s 421 rides have been for the Weir stable.

But Maher, who last week negotiated to take over the ­operation of Weir’s Forest Lodge property in Ballarat, and in turn helped save the jobs of many Weir employees, threw his support behind the Irishman.

He said Allen would not only ride work at Ballarat, but would become a leading rider for his highly successful Maher-David Eustace stable.

Maher also confirmed his younger brother Declan, a trainer in his own right, would play a central role in the Ballarat operation.

John Allen celebrating Extra Brut’s Victoria Derby victory with Darren Weir. Picture: AAP

“Johnny has had good success for us in the past,” Maher said.

“He is a good bloke and a good rider ... he ticks all the boxes for us.

“If he is up here doing a lot of our work, he will do a lot of our riding.

“As he has shown, he is a top-class rider and he is a great asset to our business and our stable.”

Allen was one of the leading riders of the Melbourne spring carnival, most notably with success on Weir’s Extra Brut in the Victoria Derby and Jarrod McLean’s Trap For Fools in the Mackinnon Stakes.

Maher said he was still working through much of the logistics involving the new ­Ballarat stable.

John Allen after winning the Mackinnon Stakes on Trap For Fools for Jarrod McLean. Picture: Michael Klein

He said he would share his time between his stables at Caulfield, Ballarat and Warwick Farm.

“Declan will have a big role here (at Ballarat),” Maher said.

“He has his own training ­licence, but he knows the way I think and the way I train, and all the different scenarios that come along with that.

“He ran the Warrnambool stable when I first went to Caulfield. I will divide my time ­between Caulfield, here at ­Ballarat and in Sydney.”

Allen has three rides at ­Pakenham on Thursday night.