3 minute read
Darren Weir has risen from humble beginnings as an owner-trainer to become Australia's leading trainer.
DARREN WEIR
* Born in Berriwillock in the Mallee district of country Victoria.
* Left school at 15 to begin work as a horse-breaker, trackrider and farrier gaining experience with Jack Coffey in Birchip, John Castleman in Mildura and Lindsay Park at Angaston in South Australia.
* In 1995 he took out an owner-trainer licence and was at Stawell before taking out a full licence in 1997 and moving to his base at Ballarat racecourse in Miners Rest in 2001. He now has training bases at Ballarat, Warrnambool and Baringhup.
* In 2005 won his first Victorian country trainers' premiership before becoming first country-based trainer to win the Melbourne trainers' premiership in 2013-14, the first of five successive titles.
* In season 2016-17 became first to train more than 400 Australian winners, winning 449 races, surpassing that in 2017-18 with 491 victories for prize money of more than $31 million.
* This season has trained 265 winners, 92 more than second-placed Chris Waller, earning almost $19 million prize money.
* Has trained 36 Group One winners, the first being She's Archie in the 2002 South Australian Oaks.
* Won the 2015 Melbourne Cup with Prince Of Penzance, ridden by Michelle Payne.
