Darren Weir has joined a select group of trainers to have prepared 100 metropolitan winners in Victoria in a season and admits the 2015-2016 campaign will be hard to top.
Earlier this season Weir celebrated his first Melbourne Cup win with outsider Prince Of Penzance racing to a memorable victory at Flemington.
On Saturday the premier trainer brought up his 100th city winner in Victoria for the season at the same track.
Master Of Arts strode away with Saturday’s Banjo Paterson Series Final to bring up the milestone.
Weir joins only Lee Freedman (115, 2005-2006), David Hayes (103, 2006-2007) and Peter Moody (103.5, 2010-2011) in reaching a century in Melbourne.
Weir, who is poised to set a new national record for winners in a season, said the milestone was “good for the stable”.
Weir won last year’s Melbourne premiership with 79 city winners.
“We were just hoping we could win as many races as we did last year in the city,” Weir said.
“That was the goal, really. This is where you want to be competitive, in the city.
“This is the main focus for us, to be competitive here in the city.
Master Of Arts’ victory was Weir’s 331st winner nation-wide for the season.
“I don’t think I’ll have a better one,” he said when describing his season.
“It will be pretty hard to toss it, I think.
“A Melbourne Cup, six Group Ones, 100 Melbourne winners.
“You’ve got to pinch yourself, I guess.”
Master Of Arts scored by 2-1/4 lengths and was ridden by Brad Rawiller who is one of the regular riders for the Weir stable.
Earlier in the day Weir brought up his 99th Melbourne winner for the campaign with Killarney Kid taking out the VRC-CRV Cup Tour Trophy.
