Darren Weir has (almost) served his time. So, what happens next?

Darren Weir’s extended seven-and-a-half-year ban from training will expire next Wednesday but he is not expected to make any immediate application to be re-licensed.

Instead, he will be concentrating on re-establishing his pre-training and agistment business at his Trevenson Park property at Maldon in Central Victoria, and easing himself back into the wider racing community and building a financial base after so many years sidelined.

Melbourne Cup winning trainer Weir has not saddled a runner since Torreggiante at Pakenham on January 31, 2019, as he has served four and then two-year disqualifications as penalty for firstly possession and then use of a “jigger" on three horses at his then Warrnambool stables back in October 2018.

He was able to firstly set-up his pre-training operation sandwiched between those two penalties but curtailed when Supreme Court Justice Finanzio upheld the Victoria Racing Tribunal who didn’t backdate the second disqualification for time served on his appeal.

But as of next Tuesday, Weir is finally free of all penalty encumbrances and would be open to make or consider an application to train again.

But it is my understanding that Weir’s immediate focus is on going back to pre-training and to underpin his showcase farm before making any consideration to professionally train again and submitting an application that would be in the hands ultimately of the Racing Victoria Board after licensing committee recommendations.

It was only in February this year, that RV chief steward Rob Montgomery spoke at a Thoroughbred Club luncheon saying: “he will not be licensed again.”

Racing Victoria said at the time that Montgomery was speaking his “private thoughts” under what he thought were “Chatham House Rules.”

“He did so in the knowledge that he would not be involved in any decision making regarding any possible future applications by Mr Weir for a licence with Racing Victoria. This is on the basis that he was the lead investigator and prosecutor in Mr Weir’s case and thus his participation would already be considered a conflict of interest,” said the RV statement at the time.

“Should Mr Weir make a future application for a licence with RV it would go through the same process as any other disqualified person via the Licensing Panel and a show cause hearing before the RV Board makes the final determination. For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Montgomery would not be involved in any parts of that process.”

Weir has maintained a meticulously low profile during his extended absence, even working with stewards whilst pre-training, allowing in-competition testing and providing updates and movements for all horses under his care.

Weir employed more than 30 staff and had 100 horses under his care in pre-training before September 2024 and has since typically enhanced his immaculate property with an extra uphill grass gallops track, with plans to extend his sand gallop and stabling block to fit in with his return to thoroughbreds.

It will be a low scale return for Weir at Trevenson who has deliberately not sought to advertise for staff until his full disqualification term has expired.

Some of Australia’s biggest owners and stables used Weir and his team when last in business from Chris Waller to Lloyd Williams to Tony Ottobre, Gerry Ryan and Nick Ryan with space expected to be at a premium once he can service them but his agistment paddocks will be first opened next week.

Whilst outed, Weir has taken great pride in his daughter Taige gaining her trainer’s license, and working with her sister Bonny, establishing their own successful business with already 11 winners from just 68 runners, including one on her debut day (No Greater Vue at Colac) in March. It took Weir senior nine months to land his first (Epaulay at Avoca in 1995.)

Weir's boys own adventure story from Berriwillock to the heights of a Melbourne Cup with Prince Of Penzance headlining 36 Group 1 wins of 3677, has been the obvious focus before his fall from grace in the 2018/19 scandal.

And the next chapter is?