The quiet bloke, who never gave much away, became a punter's favourite as he produced winner after winner. "Back Weir, drink beer," became a famous catchcry on the hill and in the stands at Warrnambool each autumn.

His incredible winning run saw him pick up a trainers' bonus in the form of a car once.

When Weir decided to send horses to Warrnambool for pre-training before opening a small-scale stable, the south-west racing industry couldn't believe its luck.

His arrival was the shot in the arm the industry needed. It came at a time when trainers were becoming more professional and a new fresh young breed emerged with businesses rather than hobby operations.

Weir's presence grew and grew from small stables in a residential street to the multi-million dollar set up he now occupies at Warrnambool's racecourse. He employs more than 25 staff in Warrnambool and has more than 100 horses in work here.

When Weir won the Melbourne Cup with outsider Prince Of Penzance in 2015 after an almost-exclusive build up on the city's beach and sand dunes, Warrnambool was in the national spotlight. The success and access to the beaches brought predictions of major economic benefits to the region.

When he started training 100 horses a morning on beaches and in the dunes prompting an outcry from beachgoers and environmentalists, he had his supporters. He threatened to pack up his business and take it and the jobs somewhere else. The city council and Racing Minister Martin Pakula have backed him and the industry in, doing everything they can to provide beach access.

But this week's police raids on Weir's Warrnambool stables, stables of his foreman, Warrnambool trainer Jarrod McLean at Yangery and a Warrnambool house, shocked those outside racing's inner sanctum and left punters scratching their heads.

We welcomed Weir into our hearts, basked in his glories. But what if he used illegal practices to achieve his successes? What if his actions fleeced punters of their hard-earned cash? What has the events of this week done to the city and region's reputation? What does it say about the sport? Does this have the capacity to shift the tide of public support for commercial training on beaches?

Weir is innocent until proven otherwise, no charges have been laid against him.

But regardless of the outcome, this week's developments have left a dark cloud hanging over Weir, his achievements and the sport. Have we been taken for a ride?

*Greg Best is The Standard’s editor and a former sports editor, who covered Warrnambool’s May Racing Carnival for 20 years.

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