Jockey Dylan Kitts admitted to stopping a horse at Worcester after an alleged threat by its connections.
Kitts told the British Horseracing Authority when interviewed in October 2023 that he had intentionally prevented Hillsin, then trained by Chris Honour, from winning a handicap hurdle earlier that year in July.
Hillsin was backed from a double-figure price the night before to around 2/1 the following morning with UK betting sites before drifting out to 11/1 before the off.
The rider claimed he had done so after being threatened by John Higgins, an associate of Hillsin’s registered owner Alan Clegg, and Honour also told him to stop the horse from winning.
In a disciplinary panel hearing which began in London on Monday, it was revealed Kitts went on holiday having been suspended after the race at Worcester and while he was away got a tattoo on his backside with the word ‘Hillsin’ – a joke intended to put the situation behind him.
The BHA analysed phone data from all involved parties, which included a phone call by Kitts to Higgins 45 minutes before the race. After which, Kitts contacted his girlfriend to say Higgins was a lunatic.
Hillsin finished third, beaten a length and a quarter when clearly appearing the best horse in the race. After it finished, Honour called Higgins while on course and said: “He’s cooched it, he’s let the cat out of the bag.”
Despite travelling much the best and looking to hold all the aces throughout, Hillsin did not trade any lower than 12/1 with sports betting app exchange Betfair in-running.
Kitts then spoke with his jockey coach, 14-time Cheltenham Festival and Grand National winning rider Mick Fitzgerald informing him he was told to give the horse a quiet ride. Kitts’ father told him he should have refused to ride when orders changed.
Higgins and Kitts were in contact multiple times before the race. Kitts received a payment of £100 by Higgins via his son-in-law, professional footballer Ashley Barnes, following Hillsin’s third-place finish at Exeter that April when Higgins and Barnes reportedly won £5,000.
Kitts was charged with a breach of rule (F) 37 – failure to obtain the best possible placing on Hillsin. He has been banned from riding ever since the incident.
Joe Lyons is a betting industry writer for GamblingIndustryNews with years of experience on reputable gambling websites. Joe specialises in long form content in the world of sports betting and gambling. Joe is recognised as an expert in sports fields such as horse racing, soccer, NFL and NBA.
