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Victorian Police sports integrity unit swoop on Darren Weir stable


Leo Schlink and Mark Buttler, EXCLUSIVE, Herald Sun

January 30, 2019 7:13am

Subscriber only

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Champion Australian trainer Darren Weir and two other men have been arrested
after police seized a gun and a taser during dawn stable raids.

Detectives from the Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit executed warrants
at properties at Warrnambool and Miners Rest, Ballarat as part of an ongoing
investigation.

Police executed warrants from just before 6am.

 

Police at the Darren Weir stables at Miners Rest, Ballarat, this morning.
Picture: Josh FaganDarren Weir celebrates Prince Of Penzance's win in the
2015 Melbourne Cup. Picture: Jay Town

Weir is one of Australia's most successful trainers, training the 2015
Melbourne Cup winner Prince of Penzance.

Detectives from the Ballarat Divisional Response Unit and members of the
Australian Federal Police were also involved in this morning's operation.

Three people have been arrested including a 48-year-old Miner's Rest man, a
38-year-old Yangery man and a 26-year-old Warrnambool man.

It is believed tbe men will now be interviewed in relation to sporting
integrity matters.

They include attempt obtain financial advantage by deception, engaging in
conduct that corrupts or would corrupt a betting outcome of event or event
contingency, use of corrupt conduct information for betting purposes, and
attempt to commit indictable offence namely obtain financial advantage by
deception.

The Herald Sun is not suggesting the allegations are true, only that they
have been made.

The Herald Sun understands a number of items including a firearm and what is
believed to be a "conducted energy device" (a taser) were also seized from
the properties.

The investigation remains ongoing and has also been assisted by Racing
Victoria.

Allegations at the centre of the inquiry have been under investigation for
months.

There have been persistent suggestions video from inside a stable has been a
key element of their investigation.

The Herald Sun has chosen not to report on the inquiry because of police
concerns the probe might be impacted.

Weir, who has training facilities at Maldon, Ballarat and Warrnambool, is
Australia's most successful trainer.

He last season prepared a Commonwealth record of 491 winners with combined
prizemoney earnings of more than $31 million.

Previously based in Stawell, Weir has won the past five Victorian
metropolitan premierships since creating "Weir-Town" in Ballarat.

His meteoric rise has been repeatedly questioned by some in racing, and
applauded by others.

He leads Winx's trainer Chris Waller by almost 90 wins in this season's
national trainer's premiership.

Weir, 48, started out working for other stables, learning his trade as a
farrier, strapper and track rider.

He is now one of the largest employers in racing and has hundreds of horses
on his books.

Victoria police has in recent years beefed up its commitment to fighting
sports corruption.

The sports integrity unit has run investigations in harness racing, tennis
and cricket.

 

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