Dylan Kitts admitted stopping Hillsin from operating on his deserves at Worcester in July 2023, with the rider stating he had been the sufferer of a risk.
In outlining the British Horseracing Authority’s case in opposition to Kitts, coach Chris Honour and John Higgins – an affiliate of proprietor Alan Clegg, who has not been charged – at a listening to in London, Louis Weston KC mentioned the rider made the admission when initially interviewed in October 2023.
The raceday stewards held an inquiry into the operating and using of Hillsin after he completed third within the Wacky Weekender Competition Pitchcroft Twenty first-Twenty third July Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, with the matter subsequently referred to the BHA.
It was introduced final week that the three had been charged with a breach of rule (J) 25 – committing, or conspiring to commit, a corrupt observe by agreeing to cease the horse from reaching his very best putting.
Attributable to sick well being Higgins was not concerned within the course of however in March 2024, Higgins, who’s the father-in-law of Premier League footballer Ashley Barnes, was positioned on the exclusion checklist by the BHA for his failure to cooperate within the investigation.
Barnes was additionally positioned on the checklist after he and Higgins failed to supply their cellphone information.
Weston mentioned: “Mr Kitts accepted the horse was given a stopping ride but went on to say he did so out of concern there was a threat by a gentleman called Mr Higgins, and confirmation that he should give a stopping ride and should not win the race for that was given by Chris Honour.”
This admission, mentioned Weston, led the BHA to develop the investigation.
In displaying video footage of the race, Weston mentioned Kitts solely made “a token effort from half a furlong or a quarter of a furlong out and never picks up his stick”.
Weston added: “What he does is he holds onto the horse, doesn’t let the horse have its head and holds it back. That is on any view a stopping ride.”
Honour was mentioned to have spoken to Higgins 70 occasions on the cellphone between Could 17 and July 5 2023 whereas solely talking to Clegg 35 occasions. Weston was eager to emphasize Clegg had by no means been a part of the investigation.
The panel heard how Barnes despatched Kitts £100, which Louis Weston KC known as ‘barely uncommon’
Having obtained phone information from Kitts and Honour, however not Higgins, Weston went on to point out a timeline of cellphone calls and messages between these allegedly concerned.
Hillsin had joined Honour from Claire Harris, with Kitts having ridden the gelding in his remaining two begins for that yard.
Weston mentioned: “Mr Higgins and his son-in-law Ashley Barnes, bet on it with relatively high levels of success.
“They’d received about £5,000. That seems to have led to Mr Higgins making contact with Mr Kitts and cash being despatched from Mr Barnes to Mr Kitts. The sum of money was £100.
“It’s slightly unusual, we say, for Mr Higgins, not the owner, to be sending money to Mr Kitts via his son-in-law. There was also a message which said, ‘Hi D, did you get the other?’ to which the answer came ‘Yes, many thanks’.
“That tells you that from April, Kitts and Higgins knew one another. Higgins was sending cash to Kitts and so they had been in direct communication.”
Kitts has been banned from using for the reason that incident in July 2023
Weston went on to say Higgins had raised the chance to Honour that if issues went properly “more horses could come his way, flashing under his nose the prospect of his wealthy son-in-law”.
Honour was charged with encouraging Kitts to offer a stopping trip, not giving enough directions to his rider and deceptive the stewards after the race.
In summing up, Weston mentioned: “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.
“However Mr Kitts was caught as a result of he didn’t cease the horse in an undetectable manner, he did so in a manner that’s blindingly apparent. Due to that there then needed to be a cover-up and a few rationalization discovered so lies had been advised within 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.
“Mr Higgins was plainly concerned, wanting on the timeline, his submissions in interview and he had a monetary relationship with Mr Kitts and his feedback about ‘letting the cat out of the bag’ to Mr Honour.
“What about Mr Honour, his instructions were to hold the horse up all the way to the line. It doesn’t make any sense. Probability says the trainer knew what was going on.
“His proof within the inquiry was deceptive, he got here out defending a conditional he’d by no means met earlier than and hung every thing on one thing that did not occur. He additionally admitted in messages to his pal he knew he was going to be in bother.”
Higgins is not going to be attending the listening to however denies all costs, as does Honour, who together with Kitts is because of handle the listening to on Tuesday.
