Racing Victoria has strongly condemned the actions of banned trainer Darren Weir after historic footage showing him using an electronic device on a horse was released.
The vision, which was released for the first time outside of a courtroom on Friday, shows Weir using a device known as a jigger on three of his horses – Tosen Basil, Yogi and Red Cardinal – in 2018.
In a strongly worded statement on Friday morning, RV said: “We strongly condemn the conduct depicted in this 2018 vision, as do the thousands of hardworking individuals in our industry who provide amazing care to their horses day in, day out.
“This is why the stewards issued serious charges against Darren Weir and his associates for their conduct, which ultimately saw them face disciplinary action.
“The independent Victorian Racing Tribunal disqualified the three individuals in this video for their actions.”
Weir remains a disqualified person until September 2026 after his Supreme Court appeal over the terms of his current two-year ban failed.
Weir had challenged the terms of the two-year disqualification from the VRT in July 2024 over animal cruelty charges.
It meant Weir cannot resume his unlicensed pre-training business at Baringhup or reapply for a trainer’s licence until September 2026.
Weir had been originally disqualified for four years from 2019 to 2023 for the possession of an electronic device and last year the VRT banned him for two further years for the use of the device.
He was also fined $36,000 in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court in late 2022 after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges.
Former Warrnambool stable right-hand man Jarrod McLean and former stablehand Tyson Kermond both also each pleaded guilty to three charges of animal cruelty in the Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court.