Jockey intentionally prevented horse from triumphing, allegedly due to a threat from Ashley Barnes' father-in-law from Burnley football club.
British Horseracing Authority Charges Three with Corruption
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has charged Chris Honour, a horse trainer, John Higgins, and Dylan Kitts, a jockey, with committing and conspiring to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice in a race at Worcester in July 2023.
The charges come after a two-year probe initiated by the BHA following Kitts' licence suspension following a third-place finish on Hillsin, a horse owned by Alan Clegg. Higgins, Higgins' father-in-law to Burnley striker Ashley Barnes, is alleged to have paid sums of £100 and £150 to Kitts on two separate occasions before the race.
Kitts, in a surprising admission, has confessed to giving a stopping ride to Hillsin in the race, preventing the horse from winning at the direction and under threat from John Higgins. This revelation came to light during the proceedings, which are currently ongoing. Higgins, however, has declined to take part in the proceedings.
Honour and Higgins have denied any wrongdoing. The three-person independent judiciary panel reviewing the case has examined replays of the race and recordings of the stewards' inquiry from the day. The panel also heard evidence of Higgins and Barnes making money by punting on Hillsin at Exeter before it was moved to Honour's stable.
On the day of the race, Hillsin was backed into 2-1 favouritism but drifted out to 11-1 before the off. Kitts, 24, sat motionless in the saddle for much of the race and finished a close third, beaten just over a length and apparently full of running.
Alan Clegg, an associate of Higgins' who has not been charged, moved Hillsin from Honour's stable to the yard of Alan Jones the day after the race. Jones, a rider, took over the horse following the event in Worcester.
Barnes was issued an exclusion order by the BHA last year for failing to cooperate with the investigation. The hearing is expected to last several days at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in central London.
This incident underscores the BHA's commitment to maintaining the integrity of British horseracing and upholding the principles of fair play and honest competition. The outcome of the proceedings will be closely watched by the racing community and the public alike.
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