Former trainer Darren Weir has lodged an appeal against the two-year disqualification handed down by the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) in July for using a jigger on three horses. Weir’s legal team, Guthrie & Associates, has filed the appeal with the Supreme Court, arguing that the penalty is “altogether excessive and out of proportion” and “contrary to the interests of justice.”
The charges relate to CCTV footage showing Weir using a jigger on three horses—Tosen Basil, Red Cardinal, and Yogi—at his Warrnambool stables in 2019. Weir had already served a four-year disqualification for possessing a jigger, which expired in February 2023.
Weir’s legal team argues that the VRT’s decision did not account for several factors, including the time elapsed since the conduct occurred, his progress toward rehabilitation, and the similarity between the two disqualifications. They claim Weir is being punished twice for the same behaviour, invoking the principle against “impermissible double punishment.” Despite these arguments, the VRT imposed the additional two-year ban.