Darren Weir’s racing background: How the trainer hit the big time
He’s the trainer behind bolter Prince Of Penzance and Michelle Payne’s stunning Melbourne Cup win. How did Darren Weir come from a small country town to take on the racing world?
SuperRacing
Don't miss out on the headlines from SuperRacing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
With one of the biggest stables in the world and an undeniable track record of producing winning racehorses and collecting eye-watering prizemoney, Darren Weir was on top of his perch.
And as recently as Tuesday night, it was business as usual.
With 10 new purchases on their way to his stables at a combined cost of $1.4 million, Weir had apparently laid another foundation stone for the future.
ANDREW RULE: ‘JIGGER’ NOTHING NEW TO RACING
Touching down at Melbourne Airport on a balmy evening, he could not have suspected the chaos about to unfold at his Warrnambool and Ballarat stables the following morning.
Police raids netted a firearm and Taser-like devices known as jiggers. Cocaine was also allegedly found.
Police said Weir and two other men were quizzed in “relation to sporting integrity matters, including obtaining financial advantage by deception (and) engaging in conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome of event or event contingency”.
The three were also to be questioned about “use of corrupt conduct information for betting purposes, and attempt to commit indictable offence namely obtain financial advantage by deception.”
The bust was the result of a long-running investigation initiated almost two years ago by Racing Victoria.
Weir’s world was suddenly a lot more complicated. Business was not quite what it had been on Tuesday.
The boy from Berriwillock, the Mallee hamlet with steepling grain silos, now faces his greatest challenge.
Established as the nation’s pre-eminent horse handler, Weir’s feel-good rags-to-riches story has suddenly taken a sinister twist.
Plucked from obscurity by eagle-eyed horseman Austy Coffey as he sat on a pony in the shadows of “Berri’s” silos, Weir’s unconventional rise to stardom began 33 years ago.
Weir is revered in the bush, particularly the Mallee.
Renowned as a hard-as-nails footballer, he is a keen AFL follower.
A father to two daughters, Weir recently bought Trevenson Park, a former stud near Maldon, central Victoria.
He spends plenty of time at the remodelled bush retreat, which has a 1920s homestead.
Reputedly tough but fair with his employees, Weir retains the support of some of Australia’s most influential owners. But as a school dropout, his passion was always horses.
Renowned as a masterful judge of horses, Weir worked for John Castleman in Mildura and then hall of famer Colin Hayes at Lindsay Park as part of an apprenticeship designed to reach the top.
Granted a training licence when he was just 25, Weir impressed fellow trainers with his work ethic and capacity to wring the best out of bad-legged horses.
Self-effacing, Weir has never been a big-noter. Always something of a lone wolf on the racetrack, he is rarely seen communing with rival trainers.
Since starting out, Weir has prepared 36 Group 1 winners, famously winning the 2015 Melbourne Cup with $101 bolter Prince Of Penzance and Michelle Payne.
With a career total of 3542 winners, he was seen to be at the height of his powers with a swag of triumphs — until Wednesday morning.
Weir has a trio of training operations, with headquarters based at Ballarat, stables at Warrnambool and the private training establishment at Trevenson Park.
Two of those venues were turned over by authorities on Wednesday. Four jiggers were found, along with a firearm.
Weir’s startling achievements have always polarised but there are those who believe it uncharitable to question his methods and authenticity.
With the case against Weir yet to be tested, accusing fingers now far outnumber the backslappers. Others point to a history of crossing the line.
It is a cluttered history. And possibly just the tip of the iceberg.
In 2001, Weir was suspended for eight weeks for giving false evidence over the late scratching of Amanda Huggenkiss at Warrnambool.
Weir was followed by racetrack detective Peter McMillan into the float car park where he placed the horse on a float for 13 minutes before re-emerging.
Weir was also fined $1000 for removing Amanda Huggenkiss from the saddling paddock at Warrnambool and for having a needle in his possession.
A year later, he was fined $1000 for possessing stomach tubing equipment at Manangatang.
In 2003, he was caught with gear that could be used for stomach-tubing while taking horses to Murtoa races and was banned for three months.
Stewards intercepted Weir and another man at Rupanyup, 15km from Murtoa.
In February 2008, Weir was fined $15,000 for sending Grey Jeune to the Murtoa races the previous July with elevated TCO2 levels.
In November, 2013, Weir was fined $2000 after a security guard was sent to his Ballarat stables only to find top sprinter Platelet had been floated to the trainer’s Warrnambool base.
The horse was scratched from the Group 1 VRC sprint on stewards’ orders.
At the time, it was the seventh instance in five years where stewards had spoken to Weir about failing to notify them of a change of stable.
In September, 2017, Weir was fined $2500 after pleading guilty to taking Air Guitar to the Burrumbeet trials with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories in its system.
Last year, Weir was fined $500 by Queensland stewards over the late on-course arrival of Night’s Watch at Doomben.
The horse was scratched and missed the opportunity to qualify for the Magic Millions.
He was also fined $5000 after pleading guilty to making false or misleading statements over the identity of seven horses at the October 3 Ballarat trials.
AWARD-WINNING RACING JOURNALISM FROM LEO SCHLINK:
ACCUSED RACE DOPING TRAINERS’ MESSAGES EXPOSED
Ottobre gives Jenni’s Cox Plate lead-up wish
Ciaron Maher has plenty of options with star mare Pride Of Jenni but owner Tony Ottobre has given his preference for her last lead-up run before the Cox Plate.
Kensington preview: Zouatica out to find Big Dance rhythm
A win on the Kensington can propel Zouatica towards the Five Diamonds Prelude on the path to the Big Dance just as it did for his stablemate Super Helpful last year.