To most of his rival trainers it's known as the "Weir factor" and that remarkable trait was again on display on Saturday when the trainer secured the $600,000 group 1 South Australian Derby with a relative unknown.
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Volatile Mix charged down the outside to give Weir another major race and back-to-back success in the race..
Weir and jockey John Allen, who won last year's SA Derby with the fancied Howard Be Thy Name, combined again with Volatile Mix, who was not considered by punters and started at $16.
Volatile Mix covered the 2500 metres in two minutes 37.09 second, which was the fastest time since Big Pat clocked 2:36.35 in 2001.
Prepared for the race and allowed to mature into a stayer of the future, the Weir factor certainly came into play, especially in the last few desperate metres when the gelding showed great toughness.
And it was a Victorian trifecta as Volatile Mix staved off Ruthven ($4) while $3.20 favourite Odeon (2.70), who looked the winner at the 250 metre mark, weakened to third.
Ruthven's effort was full of merit as, after being headed early in the straight, he came again to be second.
Waging War was a late scratching after being hurt in the gates and Docker Pav was also ruled out after playing up at the start
In Brisbane Jim Byrne scored his first group I since 2008 as Redzel won the Doomben 10,000 for delighted Sydney trainers Peter and Paul Snowden.
Redzel ($9) defied a late betting drift to win by a half-length from fast-finishing Counterattack ($10) and Derryn ($9.50).
Peter Snowden indicated Redzel would be spelled, as would fourth-placed stablemate Russian Revolution. Both will target the Melbourne spring carnival.
Chris Waller was impressed with Counterattack and indicated he could target the Stradbroke Handicap, while Derryn is another likely Stradbroke contender.
"That was a huge run, he will be in the Stradbroke up to his ears if the tracks up here stay wet," Derryn's jockey Regan Bayliss said.
