Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Darren Weir and two other men have been arrested following police raids of stables in Warrnambool and Ballarat.
Both uniformed and plain-clothed officers raided the properties in the early hours of Wednesday morning as part of a Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit investigation into alleged corruption in horse racing.
While on the properties, police seized a number of prohibited items including a gun and what is believed to be a Taser, before arresting Weir as well as a 38-year-old Yangery man, and a 26-year-old Warrnambool man.
In a statement, police said the men had been arrested for questioning as part of an investigation into suspected offences, including obtaining financial advantage by deception, engaging in conduct that corrupts and use of corrupt conduct information for betting purposes.
"Racing Victoria's Integrity Services team has been conducting an investigation into the activities of licensed persons in the Warrnambool and Ballarat areas," Racing Victoria's executive general manager of the integrity unit, Jamie Stier said following the arrests. "During the course of our investigation we sought the support of Victoria Police's Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit on the matter, instigating their investigation.
"The Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit this morning executed warrants at properties in Warrnambool and Ballarat, where they arrested three licensed persons for questioning."
Weir, 48, is one of Australia's premier horse trainers who famously took out the Melbourne Cup with Prince of Penzance in 2015. He has been training horse since 1995.
No charges have been laid by police as yet.