Can punters trust horse racing in Australia?
Horsebetting.com.au’s Todd Davey, like most of the Australian racing world, has been left in shock after the arrest of Darren Weir. The rumour mill is swirling, the industry tentatively waits for the truth to emerge and in the meantime, we are left to wonder whether the history we thought we had witnessed over the last five years was all based on a horrible lie.
SCANDALS are nothing new to the sport of kings, but for this punter, yesterday’s Darren Weir news might have been enough to erode my trust and re-think how I look at the industry all-together.
Punters often have a love-hate relationship with the great game, but the one thing we could supposedly trust is the level playing field afforded to any and all competitors.
That notion seemed to be turned on its hard on Wednesday morning.
Shock waves were felt around the country after one of Australia’s most prominent trainers Darren Weir was arrested in relation to a Federal Police raid on his Ballarat and Warrnambool properties.
Among the items seized were an unregistered firearm, an unspecified amount of cocaine and a tazer-like device known as a ‘jigger’.
For those unfamiliar with what a ‘jigger’ is, it’s essentially a tazer that is used to shock the horse into running faster and with more effort. A jigger should be a relic of the past.
The use of such a device is banned in Australia and over a decade ago we drew a line in the sand after trainer Paul Preusker was disqualified in 2007 for four years and jockey Holly McKechnie three years for using a jigger on horses during trackwork.
In 2019 the use of a jigger carries a two year penalty. The possession of a jigger has no current minimum penalty. It’s damning not just for Weir but for the industry as a whole if the allegations turn out to be true.
The jigger, firearm and drugs could be a spec of dust in a much deeper conspiracy. One could easily argue that Australian Federal Police would not have been involved unless something far bigger was in play.
Social media erupted following the breaking news, which blew up talk-back radio and every self-respecting sporting news outlet. The rumour mill, as it so often does with big names involved, was awash with the worst kinds of stories.
Unfortunately for true fans of racing, the man at the centre of it all is one of the most affable men in the game.
Why we love Weir
DK is one of Australia’s most beloved trainers.
Not only does Weir possess an enviable winning record in recent years, but he’s also the type of guy you know you’d get along with over a couple of beers — the Aussie larrikin with the big, beaming smile that came good in the big smoke.
Weir entered the racing zeitgeist after his thrilling 2015 Melbourne Cup win with Prince Of Penzance as a triple figure outsider with the online bookmakers. The win broke down a number of barriers for Australian racing.
Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Cup and Weir delivered a win for the country trainers who always thought winning the race that stops a nation was a pipe-dream.
From then the battle cry of ‘Back Weir, Drink Beer’ is a mainstay in the modern racing lexicon, and Victorian punters in particular came to trust the Warrnambool-based trainer with their hard-earned cash, even if it was hard to pick which winner would come out on top when stablemates raced each other.
These new allegations might change everything in regards to the Darren Weir narrative.
While he has been found guilty of transgressions in the past, the potential ramifications for the use of jiggers could forever tarnish what should be Australia’s truly great underdog story.
Weir is innocent until proven guilty, but can he still race horses?
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Paterson said “those involved are entitled to the presumption of innocence at this time.”
While that’s well and good from a legal standpoint, the fact remains: there’s a grey area around any horse that’s in the care of Darren Weir.
A significant racing connection that did not want to be identified told HorseBetting.com.au today he would “prefer not” to have his horses running up against Weir runners.
We don’t blame them either.
Even if the allegations of jigger use (and far, far worse) proves to be unsubstantiated, the fact that it could have happened should have been enough for stewards to scratch any and all Weir runners from upcoming meetings.
How can Victorian Racing ask other owners and trainers to compete while enormous, far-reaching accusations hang in the air?
It could be argued that sidelining Weir runners around the state would result in butchered fields, ruined meetings and substantial losses in betting and attendance — an absolute nightmare for the industry.
For now Weir horses are able to compete, whether that remains the case in the near future remains to be seen.
What’s a punter to do?
The biggest question from a punting standpoint now is whether or not we can bet with confidence.
A poll conducted by the HorseBetting Twitter account found punters were split right up and down the middle.
The divide on social media is evident, with Queensland trainer Ben Currie and Group 1 winning jockey Ryan Wiggins both stating that we’ve only heard one side of the story.
Jiggers could be used for moving cattle , unlicensed gun could be used to kill feral animals on the property and small amount cocaine found for personal use . No wonder No chargers have been laid ?♂️ #justsaying #mediabeatup
— Ryan Wiggins (@RyanWiggins1982) January 31, 2019
For me though, even as no charges are yet to be laid, I won’t be laying a cent on any race in which Weir’s horses are running.
I’m not suggesting for a second that Weir is guilty, far from it.
But, while these accusations hang in the air and the investigation continues to gain steam, I’d rather focus my hard-earned on other trainers and owners that will be doing it tough as the world turns on racing yet again, painting everyone with the same, ugly brush.