MY CALL: THE SWIFT FALL OF THE DARREN WEIR EMPIRE

By David Fowler | Tuesday, February 5, 2019

David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO.

The Darren Weir case is eerily simple as it is frustratingly complex.

Consider Weir was nabbed last Wednesday and potentially by the end of this week could be disqualified for four years.

A burgeoning racing empire destroyed within a fortnight.

We are now so used to charged parties and integrity controllers delaying matters through hearing adjournments and the associated snail's pace of the court system.

It has become the norm rather the exception.

Yet Australia's most successful trainer barely uttered a public word and offered not to contest the charges leaving a soon to be announced penalty, reported to be a four year disqualification.

Eerie in its simplicity. Just think about it.

You don't even have to read between the lines on this one.

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Yet the situation is complex considering the size of the operation in the transfer of around 600 horses and the livelihoods of those connected with the stable.

The matter didn't end with Weir's witching hour concession. An on-going police investigation will keep the story in lights.

There has been much speculation amidst generally this large background of silence but some remarks richly deserve the disdain or the derision they have widely received.

I thought prominent owner Terry Henderson was smarter than these comments made last week.

He suggested Racing Victoria should, "develop a culture to promote the professional standards of the industry"

And this beauty. "I think it is a reflection that our industry has not spent a cent on training trainers."

Understandably, the comments raised the ire of several trainers.

What rubbish from Henderson. You don't have to be counselled or taught what is right or what is wrong.

And then Racing Victoria Chairman Brian Kruger was asked a puerile question whether capping stable numbers could be considered to combat these sort of incidents.

What the hell has how many horses you train got to do with what is right and what is wrong?

It's a disturbing trend in our society to find every reason possible to avoid personal responsibility.

On that front, at least, Darren Weir did the right thing.

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