Jockey ‘stopped horse after being threatened’

Jockey Dylan Kitts admitted preventing his mount Hillsin from running on his merits after the rider said he was threatened by a Premier League footballer’s father-in-law, a hearing was told.

Kitts controversially finished third on the horse in a handicap hurdle at Worcester in July 2023.

He, trainer Chris Honour and John Higgins – an associate of owner Alan Clegg, who has not been charged – are facing a disciplinary hearing.

They are accused of breaching racing’s rules by committing, or conspiring to commit, a corrupt practice by agreeing to stop the horse from achieving his best possible placing.

In outlining the British Horseracing Authority’s (BHA) case against them, Louis Weston KC said Kitts made the admission about his ride when initially interviewed in October 2023.

Higgins, who is the father-in-law of Premier League footballer Ashley Barnes, was placed on the exclusion list by the BHA for his failure to cooperate in the investigation.

Burnley striker Barnes was also placed on the list after he and Higgins failed to provide their phone records.

In showing video footage of the race, Weston said Kitts only made “a token effort from half a furlong or a quarter of a furlong out and never picks up his stick”.

Honour was said to have spoken to Higgins 70 times on the phone between 17 May and 5 July, 2023, while only speaking to Clegg 35 times. Weston stressed Clegg had never been part of the investigation.

The trainer was charged with encouraging Kitts to give a stopping ride, not giving sufficient instructions to his rider and misleading the stewards after the race.

“There is no issue that Mr Kitts stopped this horse. There is no issue either that the plan would be not to get caught – these people are not idiots,” said Weston.

“But Mr Kitts was caught because he did not stop the horse in an undetectable way, he did so in a way that is blindingly obvious. Because of that there then had to be a cover-up and some explanation found, so lies were told in the stewards’ inquiry.

“Did Mr Kitts act alone? Obviously not – he had no reason to act alone and the evidence points to him having done it for other people.”