Darren Weir faces racing tribunal over animal cruelty charges – MASHAHER

Darren Weir attempted to corrupt the outcome of the 2018 Melbourne Cup by using an electronic device on his sole runner Red Cardinal a week before the race, the Victorian Racing Tribunal heard on Monday.

Weir was also accused by Racing Victoria Stewards of attempting to influence other races by using the device, referred to as a jigger, on Tosen Basil and Yogi while they ran on a treadmill at his Warrnambool stables on October 30, 2018.

Weir appeared at the Victorian Racing Tribunal on Monday and pleaded not guilty to three charges of engaging in conduct to affect the outcome of a race. He pleaded guilty to three charges of using a jigger on horses, three charges of animal cruelty and one charge of improper and dishonourable conduct.

Jarrod McLean and Tyson Kermond, who were on video link, pleaded not guilty to three charges of engaging in conduct to affect the outcome of a race as well as a charge of improper and dishonourable conduct. They pleaded guilty to using a jigger.

A 15-minute secret police video played to the tribunal showed Weir using the jigger multiple times on Red Cardinal, Tosen Basil and Yogi while they were running on a treadmill at his Warrnambool stable.

The clip showed McLean using a piece of “poly” pipe to hit the horses, while Kermond stood alongside both men.

Racing Victoria’s counsel Albert Dinelli, KC, told the hearing in his opening submission that the video would show there was “only one explanation for the application of the jigger to each of Red Cardinal, Tosen Basil and Yogi, and that was the intention to corrupt the outcome of a race”.

The video shows Kermond and Weir placing blinkers on the horses while they were running on the treadmill. Weir is then seen pulling the hand-sized electronic device from his jeans pocket and using the jigger. He uses it seven times on Red Cardinal, nine times on Tosen Basil and nine times on Yogi.