TONY BOURKE, racing writer
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Victorian Racing Media Association award Tony Bourke won his sixth Victorian Racing Media Association award for best news story of the year for his coverage of the Warrnambool May carnival. Saturday, October 7, 2006 |
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Bourke, who won the award in 1988-89, '91-92, '92-93, '95-96 and 2000-01, collected the $1500 first prize for his stories on trainer Darren Weir's woes at Warrnambool, where stewards scratched one of his horses, Glebe Run, after they believed it had been illegally stomach tubed. His story also highlighted the incident in which the clerk of the course rode her horse across the field as the barriers opened. Bourke and fellow Age racing writers Andrew Eddy and Patrick Bartley received commendations for best feature.  Trainer in inquiry after dramatic day at carnival RACING TONY BOURKE, With ANDREW GARVEY IN A dramatic end to the second day of the Warrnambool carnival, Ballarat trainer Darren Weir is at the centre of an inquiry into alleged stomach tubing involving Glebe Run, who was scratched from the last race as the horses were on the way to the start. Moments before the warning siren sounded, Weir stormed from the stewards' room and ran from the course, leaving a bewildered Brad Rawiller, the rider of Glebe Run, wondering what was going on. Chief steward Des Gleeson said that as a result of information received, there was a "strong possibility" that Glebe Run, who was a $4.40 chance vying for favouritism in the Class 4 Handicap, had been stomach tubed. Gleeson said tubing equipment and some substances had been found at the stables of local trainer Jarrod McLean, where Weir had stabled four of his nine runners yesterday. He said the late decision to scratch Glebe Run had come about because they were unable to question McLean, whose only runner, Major Bigtime, was also in the last race, until he arrived on course just before race seven. The spotlight had been on Weir all day as he won a treble with Real Assay, Himstedt and Virvacity to get within one win of the elusive trainers' prize of an $89,000 Mercedes-Benz. A trainer has to win one of the four features over the three days and three other races and after Virvacity won the Galleywood Hurdle and he had five more chances, including Glebe Run, in later races, it was a distinct possibility that Weir could achieve the feat in just one day. Weir, who has several prior offences for stomach tubing his horses, has seven acceptors on today's card, including Celtic Bloom in the Warrnambool Cup. Gleeson said there was no indication that any of Weir's nine runners yesterday, who had all been pre-race tested, had been administered any prohibited substances but it was the practice of stomach tubing on race day that was against the rules. He said, as was the practice now at all major carnivals, the stewards' non-raceday unit had conducted stable checks on Weir's horses – Real Assay, Himstedt, Marinello King and Glebe Run – yesterday morning. Weir was in and out of the stewards' room throughout the day before the last-race episode. Gleeson said the results of the pre-race tests and post-race swabs taken from Weir's horses would not be available until at least next week. "Even if the tests are all clear it is still an offence to stomach tube horses," he said. Gleeson would not elaborate on whether there would be any additional testing done on the Weir horses entered today. In the official report from yesterday's proceedings, the stewards said that before race two, evidence had been taken from the racecourse investigator Jim Monahan and steward Bradley Dunn, members of the non-raceday unit, that stomach tubing and drenches belonging to Weir had been located at McLean's stables. Acting on assurances from Weir, his earlier runners were allowed to start. After later taking evidence from McLean and Weir, the stewards determined that at the "preliminary stage" the evidence before them indicated a "strong possibility" Glebe Run may have been stomach tubed and ordered the horse to be scratched at 4.40pm. After the win of Virvacity in the $91,000 Galleywood Hurdle, Weir was the toast of Warrnambool as he seemed on the verge of becoming the first trainer to take the trainers' prize, introduced in 1996. Ridden by local rider Brad McLean, Jarrod McLean's brother, Virvacity ($5.50) won by three lengths from Sissano ($11), with The Big Ask ($6) 3/4 of a length away third. In yesterday's other feature, the Wangoom Handicap, won by SA sprinter Gunner Tom, Weir's two runners Blue Royalty and Tonz More Fun, were unplaced. It was the biggest win for trainer Sue Murphy and jockey Craig Robertson since they teamed up about five years ago. • Victoria's leading stallion, Testa Rossa, will be transferred to Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley for the coming stud season. The six-time group-1 winner stood his first five seasons at Yallambee Stud, Romsey. Published: Thursday, May 4, 2006 RELATED ARTICLE False start leaves Warrnambool with its own siren-gate |
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