Maher gallops in to buy out Weir’s business

TAKING on a new stable complex at Ballarat wasn’t on Ciaron Maher’s agenda a week ago but now he owns the biggest at the track and one of Australia’s largest.

Yesterday Maher’s stable announced its had bought out Darren Weir’s Forest Lodge business.

“The opportunity came up and it was too good not to pursue. We’ve managed to get one of the best stable facilities in the country,” Maher said.

Maher and his business partners, Weir and his team, Ballarat Turf Club representatives and Racing Victoria representatives nutted out an agreement over several hours on Wednesday.

Maher said they would take on a large number of horses that were trained by Weir.

“We’re still working out how many horses we will have there and how many staff will be needed,” he said.

Maher said they had the capacity to take 150 horses at Ballarat but wouldn’t be near that capacity for some time.

He will stay at Caulfield until training stopped there and would still look at moving his team to either Cranbourne or Pakenham.

Maher said he had mixed emotions in dealing with Weir on Wednesday as he bought the property that Weir had put his heart and soul into.

He is yet to decide whether he will take on Weir’s administrative staff.

“Our business is well structured to facilitate this addition, both practically and administratively, and our key priority is to ensure a swift takeover with minimal disruption to the staff and horses there,” Maher said.

Maher and David Eustace now own a mega stable with bases at Caulfield, Balnarring for beach training, Pakenham for pre-training and dressage work, and a stable at Warwick Farm.

Maher said they could also consider buying Weir’s Warrnambool stables to complement their Ballarat stable.

Ballarat Turf Club chief executive Lachlan Mckenzie said the deal was a great result.

“They will employ most of Darren’s staff. They are there and ready to go, but it will be a brand new business,” Mckenzie said.

Flemington trainer Nigel Blackiston will also move to Ballarat and will take up stables Weir had leased from the Ballarat Turf Club.