Warrnambool beach. (Pic: Vince Caligiuri/Getty)
Levys Beach and the sand dunes at Warrnambool, an intrinsic part of Darren Weir’s phenomenal success, have been shut down, effective immediately.
Warrnambool City Council delivered the stunning news to the South West Owners Trainers Riders Association.
The letter, signed by Ian Fitzgibbon, manager – Health and Local Laws, has massive implications given more than 200 horses use the area.
Fitzgibbon said the issue was raised in discussion with Parks Victoria and Aboriginal Victoria regarding training horses in the Levys Beach precinct.
Weir has 77 horses trained from his Warrnambool base with Jarrod McLean, Symon Wilde, Matthew Williams and Ciaron Maher as well as many other trainers also regularly using the sand dunes as an integral part of their training operations.
The new edict will significantly impact how horses are trained at Warrnambool as the dunes regimen was relied heavily upon by trainers.
While the hard sand on the beach can be still accessed as can the water it is the the dunes where most of the trainers work their horses.
Racing Victoria CEO Bernard Saundry, Country Racing Victoria CEO Scott Whitman and Weir meet with the Warrnambool City Council late last month to discuss the situation.
G1X.com.au understands that a proposal was ...
