Jockey Kitts given nine-year ban in corruption case

In a case involving racing corruption, jockey Dylan Kitts has received a nine-year ban.

It was discovered that the rider and associate John Higgins had a plot to extort money from a horse to stop it from getting its best position possible.

When Kitts, 24, placed third in a handicap hurdle at Worcester in July 2023, he admitted to a disciplinary hearing that he had prevented his mount Hillsin from competing on his merits.

Higgins, who has been suspended from racing for a year, was deemed to be the mastermind behind Hillsin’s attempted reversal.

He is the son of Ashley Barnes, a football player from Burnley, and he is associated with the horse’s owner Alan Clegg, who was uncharged by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

The BHA stated in a statement that “the punishments handed down to John Higgins and Dylan Kitts today for conspiring to prevent Hillsin from winning send a clear message to British racing.”

The minimum standard expected of all participants in British racing is to run and ride horses to achieve their best position. It is crucial for those interested in the sport to have confidence in the results of their testing.

Despite having since won three of his 11 races, Hillsin was prohibited from running for 40 days following the contest.

Worcester stewards claimed at the time that the horse “strongly traveled in the home straight” without ever appearing to be asked for a finishing effort.