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Darren Weir arrested over animal cruelty and corruption allegations, Wednesday
Bombshell allegations have sent shockwaves through the horse racing industry
Thrown cloud over Michelle Payne's Melbourne Cup win on Prince of Penzance
She rode Weir-trained gelding Prince of Penzance to victory at $101 back in 2015
Payne broke silence, saying she was never aware of illegal activity in his stables

By Brittany Chain and Max Margan For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 00:38 EST, 1 February 2019 | Updated: 00:59 EST, 1 February 2019

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Melbourne Cup winning trainer Darren Weir has been charged after animal cruelty and corruption allegations swept through Racing Victoria.

Two other members of his training team, Jarrod McLean and Tyson Kermond, were also charged.

Racing Victoria stewards issued six complaints against Weir after police raided his Ballarat and Warrnambool stables on Wednesday.

They allegedly found an electric or electronic apparatus capable of affecting the performance of a horse among other equipment.

Weir has also been charged with failure to give evidence at an inquiry, failure to comply with a direction of the stewards and conduct prejudicial to the image, interests or welfare of racing.

It is possible the Weir matter may not progress to criminal charges and be referred back to Racing Victoria

Michelle Payne distanced herself from Weir after his arrest.

The bombshell claims have thrown into the spotlight Payne's famous Melbourne Cup win in 2015, when she rode Weir-trained gelding Prince of Penzance to victory at $101.

Payne broke her silence on Thursday night and said she hasn't been part of the Weir stable for 18 months - and when she was, she wasn't aware of any illegal activity.

'I never witnessed or was aware of any illegal practices,' she said in a statement.

Weir's rival trainers, including Tom Dabernig - who said he'd be surprised if Weir isn't suspended by the day's end - are among those calling for his previous wins to be investigated.

Michelle Payne (left) has distanced herself from Darren Weir (right) after his arrest over animal cruelty and corruption allegations

Payne rode Weir-trained gelding Prince of Penzance to victory at the 2015 Melbourne Cup at $101

'If the allegations are true, and clearly there's been breaches already through what they've found with electrical devices, I would be most surprised if he was (training by the end of the day),' Dabernig told 3AW on Friday.

Dabernig, a part of the Hayes family training dynasty, said some of Weir's successes would have to be questioned.

'He should be stood down and not have runners until it's looked into; it's not fair on the participants and the general public but that's not a call for me to be making,' he said.

Elio Celotto from the Coalition for the Protection of Race Horses also called for an investigation in the wake of the allegations.

'This matter brings into questions the result of the 2015 Melbourne Cup,' he said.

'The winner trained by Weir had quite an ordinary racing record by Cup standards leading into the Cup and certainly after.'

Weir's future should be made clearer on Friday, with stewards at the governing body expected to provide an update after considering information and seeking legal advice.

Police raids on Weir's Victorian properties on Wednesday allegedly found four taser-like devices, known as 'jiggers' in the industry, sparking the investigation.

Trainer Jarrod McLean and licensed foreperson Tyson Kermond were quizzed at Racing Victoria's offices on Thursday before charges were laid Friday afternoon.

'I never witnessed or was aware of any illegal practices,' Payne (second from left) said after Weir (second from right) was arrested

Police are seen at Darren Weir Stables in Miners Rest, Ballarat, on Wednesday morning

And Racing NSW says it has issued Weir a show cause notice, ordering him to explain why he should be allowed to keep racing in the state.

'The Show Cause Notice was issued in light of the seriousness of the reported allegations concerning Mr Weir and the responsibility of Racing NSW to protect the image, interests and integrity of racing, further noting that Mr Weir has nominated a number of horses for the Golden Slipper and nominations for The Championships are approaching,' Racing NSW said.

As well as the four taser-like devices, known as jiggers, police allegedly found an unregistered firearm and a small amount of suspected cocaine during the bust.

Payne last night broke her silence and issued a statement saying that she hasn't been part of the Weir stable for 18 months. The pair are pictured together after winning the 2015 Cup

Weir's future should be made clearer on Friday, with stewards at the governing body expected to provide an update after considering information and seeking legal advice

A jigger is usually a small electrical device used in conjunction with a whip to try to stimulate a horse to run faster. It is used in training and the action is then simulated on race day so the horse believes it is about to be shocked again.

Racing Victoria chief Giles Thompson said on Thursday it was too early to say if Weir would be suspended from the sport.

Victoria Police said Weir and the two other men were questioned over allegations of obtaining financial advantage by deception, engaging in conduct that corrupts a betting outcome and use of corrupt conduct information for betting purposes, as well as animal cruelty.