Weir stays silent as he prepares to face stewards

Besieged trainer Darren Weir says he is prevented from speaking about the charges against him because of the ongoing police investigation, as he prepares to face Racing Victoria stewards on Monday.

Weir and his training partner, Jarrod McLean, are due to front the stewards for a continuation of the show-cause hearing that began on Friday. The outcome of that hearing – when Weir will address six charges under the rules of racing– will determine whether or not any horses he enters for big events at the weekend, including the group 1 Orr Stakes, will be able to run in their name.

Contacted by The Age on Sunday, the trainer was calm and collected given the circumstances in which he has found himself – but he stressed he could not make any meaningful comment.

"I am taking this phone call, but I cannot give any information because it is a police matter, and it is a similar situation with the stewards," Weir said.

Weir can still enter horses for the Orr Stakes and other big-money events at Caulfield, pending the outcome of the hearing, even though his runners at Moonee Valley and Caulfield last Friday and Saturday were scratched by order of the stewards.

If stewards decide Weir has failed to give a convincing argument as to why he should not be disciplined and they elect to scratch his runners, those entered could not run in his name next weekend.

The only way they could compete is if they were transferred to another trainer before acceptances later in the week: if that happened and Racing Victoria was happy with the paperwork and procedures, those gallopers would be allowed to race under the care of a new trainer.

A similar situation exists around the Weir-trained horses entered for Tuesday's meeting at Warrnambool, where the Weir stable run by his training partner McLean is based.

His horses will remain in the fields for those races until such time as stewards make a decision – if they do – on Monday.

If that decision is a negative one for Weir and the stewards take action against him, the horses will be scratched, as were his runners last weekend.

His gallopers who were due to take part in jump-outs at Terang on Monday can still do so while he remains a licensed person.

Weir has been charged with six offences under the rules of racing, with three of the charges relating to the use of "jiggers", electronic devices that deliver an electronic shock to affect the performance of a horse.

Racing Victoria officials confirmed on Sunday that the resumed hearing would be on Monday afternoon; it is believed it will be held in camera, at least for the most part.

The sport's governing body is expecting Weir and McLean to be there in person, but confirmation of their appearance is expected on Monday.

Weir himself has kept silent since his sensational arrest on Wednesday, when police raided his Ballarat stables and the jiggers, some cocaine and an unlicensed firearm was found on his property.

The trainer has not been charged with any offence by police following the raid.

Article courtesy of Nine and The Brisbane Times