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12Yrs & 9Yrs ban.
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John Higgins and Dylan Kitts, who conspired to deliberately prevent Hillsin from winning in July 2023, have been banned from racing for 12 years and nine years respectively.
Trainer Chris Honour, who was judged not to be part of the conspiracy but was found to have misled stewards after the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Worcester, has been fined £750.
The penalties for Higgins and Kitts at the conclusion of the long-running investigation are among the most severe handed down by the disciplinary panel, and were described by the BHA as sending "a clear message that British racing will not tolerate actions of this kind," and added that the running of Hillsin "undermined the efforts of the tens of thousands of people who work tirelessly across the country to ensure British racing remains a global leader built on a culture of integrity and fair competition."
Higgins, the father-in-law of professional footballer Ashley Barnes, was deemed to be the mastermind behind the plan to stop Hillsin from winning following a four-day hearing in September, which he did not attend due to illness.
The panel determined Higgins, an associate of Hillsin’s registered owner Alan Clegg, had groomed Kitts, a 7lb conditional rider, with the promise of future rides and potential financial reward. No charges were brought against Clegg.
Higgins was placed on the BHA exclusion list on March 7, 2024 for failing to cooperate with the Hillsin investigation with his ban being backdated to start from the date he became excluded.
Hillsin became the subject of a BHA investigation following his run at Worcester on July 5, 2023 when he finished a close third under tender handling by Kitts.
The jockey reported Hillsin had made a noise and hung in the closing stages, making him difficult to ride, and that his instructions had been to hold on to the horse’s head for as long as possible to help him finish his race.
Hillsin was suspended from running for 40 days and Kitts voluntarily stood down after the race, before having his licence formally suspended the following week. During this time, Kitts went on holiday and had the word ‘Hillsin’ tattooed on his bottom, which he said in the disciplinary hearing was meant as a sign he had put the incident "behind him".
Dylan Kitts: xxxxx
Dylan Kitts: disqualified for nine years
Credit: John Grossick Racing
At a penalties hearing last Tuesday, Kitts’s mother, Debbie, said her son, who is expecting his first child in February, was “liable for punishment” when it was decided, but that “his heart is still in racing” and that he had cooperated with investigators. Kitts’s nine-year ban is backdated to July 13, 2023 when his licence was suspended.
During the same hearing, Roderick Moore, representing Honour, said the investigation “had quite a severe impact on Mr Honour’s mental health” and that it had “left an indelible mark on Mr Honour’s family that will never be removed or forgotten”.
Honour was found to have misled stewards after the race by agreeing Hillsin had been hanging, but the disciplinary panel determined it was due to the trainer’s desire to “support a young jockey”.
Moore said: “Mr Honour has learned from his mistake. He knows he has got into trouble because he was too defensive of a young jockey. That in itself stands to his credit, but it’s got him into trouble and he will have to be much colder and more objective if he finds himself in a similar situation again.”
Hillsin, who remains in the ownership of Clegg, has won four times since the Worcester race, the most recent victory coming at Exeter last month. He is declared to run in a 2m3½f handicap hurdle at Hereford on Tuesday.
The BHA has repeatedly referred to the complexity of the task in building the case against Kitts and Higgins, and in a statement welcoming the punishments handed down by the Independent Judicial Panel, outlined why that task had led to such a lengthy investigation.
A spokesperson said: "This investigation was extensive in its nature, not dissimilar to a complex fraud case. Significant quantities of evidence were analysed and numerous interviews conducted, while this was also the first in which telephone data extraction powers were utilised.
"Such work calls for detailed scrutiny of large amounts of data in order for it to be translated into tangible information and to fulfill our disclosure obligation. Given the seriousness of the allegations in this case, it is right that all appropriate efforts were made to reach this outcome."
Turning to the serious nature of the charges and the lengthy bans imposed by the panel, the statement continued: "The penalties handed down to John Higgins and Dylan Kitts today for conspiring to prevent Hillsin from winning sends a clear message that British racing will not tolerate conduct of this kind.
"Running and riding horses to achieve their best possible position is the minimum standard expected of all participants in British racing. It is vital that those engaging with the sport have confidence that what they are seeing unfold on the track is clean and fair.
"The actions of Mr Higgins and Mr Kitts, which disregarded that basic expectation, undermined the efforts of the tens of thousands of people who work tirelessly across the country to ensure British racing remains a global leader built on a culture of integrity and fair competition.
"We therefore welcome the sanctions imposed by the independent Disciplinary Panel, which reflect the seriousness of this breach of the Rules of Racing."
Trainer Chris Honour, who was judged not to be part of the conspiracy but was found to have misled stewards after the conditional jockeys’ handicap hurdle at Worcester, has been fined £750.
The penalties for Higgins and Kitts at the conclusion of the long-running investigation are among the most severe handed down by the disciplinary panel, and were described by the BHA as sending "a clear message that British racing will not tolerate actions of this kind," and added that the running of Hillsin "undermined the efforts of the tens of thousands of people who work tirelessly across the country to ensure British racing remains a global leader built on a culture of integrity and fair competition."
Higgins, the father-in-law of professional footballer Ashley Barnes, was deemed to be the mastermind behind the plan to stop Hillsin from winning following a four-day hearing in September, which he did not attend due to illness.
The panel determined Higgins, an associate of Hillsin’s registered owner Alan Clegg, had groomed Kitts, a 7lb conditional rider, with the promise of future rides and potential financial reward. No charges were brought against Clegg.
Higgins was placed on the BHA exclusion list on March 7, 2024 for failing to cooperate with the Hillsin investigation with his ban being backdated to start from the date he became excluded.
Hillsin became the subject of a BHA investigation following his run at Worcester on July 5, 2023 when he finished a close third under tender handling by Kitts.
The jockey reported Hillsin had made a noise and hung in the closing stages, making him difficult to ride, and that his instructions had been to hold on to the horse’s head for as long as possible to help him finish his race.
Hillsin was suspended from running for 40 days and Kitts voluntarily stood down after the race, before having his licence formally suspended the following week. During this time, Kitts went on holiday and had the word ‘Hillsin’ tattooed on his bottom, which he said in the disciplinary hearing was meant as a sign he had put the incident "behind him".
Dylan Kitts: xxxxx
Dylan Kitts: disqualified for nine years
Credit: John Grossick Racing
At a penalties hearing last Tuesday, Kitts’s mother, Debbie, said her son, who is expecting his first child in February, was “liable for punishment” when it was decided, but that “his heart is still in racing” and that he had cooperated with investigators. Kitts’s nine-year ban is backdated to July 13, 2023 when his licence was suspended.
During the same hearing, Roderick Moore, representing Honour, said the investigation “had quite a severe impact on Mr Honour’s mental health” and that it had “left an indelible mark on Mr Honour’s family that will never be removed or forgotten”.
Honour was found to have misled stewards after the race by agreeing Hillsin had been hanging, but the disciplinary panel determined it was due to the trainer’s desire to “support a young jockey”.
Moore said: “Mr Honour has learned from his mistake. He knows he has got into trouble because he was too defensive of a young jockey. That in itself stands to his credit, but it’s got him into trouble and he will have to be much colder and more objective if he finds himself in a similar situation again.”
Hillsin, who remains in the ownership of Clegg, has won four times since the Worcester race, the most recent victory coming at Exeter last month. He is declared to run in a 2m3½f handicap hurdle at Hereford on Tuesday.
The BHA has repeatedly referred to the complexity of the task in building the case against Kitts and Higgins, and in a statement welcoming the punishments handed down by the Independent Judicial Panel, outlined why that task had led to such a lengthy investigation.
A spokesperson said: "This investigation was extensive in its nature, not dissimilar to a complex fraud case. Significant quantities of evidence were analysed and numerous interviews conducted, while this was also the first in which telephone data extraction powers were utilised.
"Such work calls for detailed scrutiny of large amounts of data in order for it to be translated into tangible information and to fulfill our disclosure obligation. Given the seriousness of the allegations in this case, it is right that all appropriate efforts were made to reach this outcome."
Turning to the serious nature of the charges and the lengthy bans imposed by the panel, the statement continued: "The penalties handed down to John Higgins and Dylan Kitts today for conspiring to prevent Hillsin from winning sends a clear message that British racing will not tolerate conduct of this kind.
"Running and riding horses to achieve their best possible position is the minimum standard expected of all participants in British racing. It is vital that those engaging with the sport have confidence that what they are seeing unfold on the track is clean and fair.
"The actions of Mr Higgins and Mr Kitts, which disregarded that basic expectation, undermined the efforts of the tens of thousands of people who work tirelessly across the country to ensure British racing remains a global leader built on a culture of integrity and fair competition.
"We therefore welcome the sanctions imposed by the independent Disciplinary Panel, which reflect the seriousness of this breach of the Rules of Racing."
Harry Skelton is debating how many names he will be able to fit on his cheeks
on the other cheek he now has tally marks for each year hes out of the "game"-just another 7 to go.
I was at Warwick earlier in the year when D K stopped one ( 2023 ) of Greatrex's which has won several times since ! Filthy lucre will always tempt young impressionable jockeys !
Dylan Kitts rode the Warren Greatrex-trained horse Jet Of Dreams at Warwick on May 13, 2023, in a maiden hurdle race. The ride was the subject of controversy and resulted in Kitts receiving a 14-day "non-trier" ban from the stewards.
'built on a culture of integrity and fair competition' - one of the funniest things I've ever read :D
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