Weir/McLean could surrender licences

Trainer Darren Weir faces a show cause hearing ahead of an inquiry into jiggers found in his stable.

Champion Victorian trainer Darren Weir could relinquish his licence before a Racing Victoria hearing to determine whether he should be allowed to continue training.

Melbourne’s Herald Sun is reporting Weir and his assistant, licensed trainer Jarrod McLean, could surrender their licences rather than front a show cause hearing on Monday afternoon over serious charges against them.

The two were arrested last Wednesday after RV stewards and officers from Victoria Police’s sports integrity unit raided properties at Ballarat and Warrnambool where Weir has stables, finding four electronic devices commonly known as jiggers and banned in racing.

In addition to rule breaches relating to the jiggers, Weir and McLean have been charged with failing to answer questions at the opening of a stewards’ inquiry on Thursday and conduct prejudicial to racing.

The show cause hearing opened on Friday with horses trained by the pair withdrawn from races over the weekend.

Weir has won the past five Melbourne trainers’ premierships and rose to international prominence when he trained Prince Of Penzance to win the 2015 Melbourne Cup.

Until last week he had more than 600 horses on his books with many owners now transferring them to other trainers.

A jigger is usually a small electrical device used in conjunction with a whip to try to stimulate a horse to run faster.

It is used in training and the action is then simulated on race day so the horse believes it is about to be shocked again.

The show cause hearing is scheduled to begin at 2pm.