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Disgraced trainer Darren Weir‘s comeback attempt has been dealt a major blow, hit with a slew of fresh animal cruelty charges.
Weir was handed a four-year ban in 2019 for the possession of electric shock devices known as a jigger, and faces another lengthy ban as a result of charges which relate to allegations of corruption, dishonesty, misleading behaviour and the care and welfare of horses.
The new charges relate to the use of jiggers on horses Yogi, Red Cardinal and Tosen Basil while they ran on a treadmill at Weir’s Warnambool stables in October 2018.
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Weir, trainer Jarrod McLean and stablehand Tyson Kermond were hit with 10 charges each from Racing Victoria stewards on Thursday, with the trio caught on video using jiggers in a 15-minute clip.
The video was used by police in court last year to assist in their animal cruelty case against Weir, McLean and Kermond. The trio were found guilty in December but avoided a conviction.
Racing Victoria stewards opened a fresh investigation into the three men after the footage was made available to them.
”Mr Weir was at all relevant times the licensed trainer of Red Cardinal, Tosen Basil and Yogi,” the stewards’ statement said.
“On or about 30 October 2018, on each horse Mr Weir used an electric or electronic apparatus capable of affecting their performance in a race.
“Mr Weir applied the apparatus to Red Cardinal, Tosen Basil and Yogi with the intention of affecting their performance, and thereby affecting their results in future races.”
At the time of Weir’s ban in 2019, he had won 36 Group 1 races as well as a Melbourne Cup, and collected over $150 million in prizemoney.
