Dylan Kitts has been handed a nine-year ban after an independent British Horseracing Authority disciplinary panel concluded he tried to prevent Hillsin from winning at Worcester in July 2023.
John Higgins, an associate of owner Alan Clegg, who was not accused of any wrongdoing, was believed to be the instigator of the scheme and has been on the BHA’s exclusion list since March 7 last year, the date on which his 12-year ban will be retrospectively revoked after failing to cooperate with the trial.
Kitts, a conditional rider who has since left the racing industry, was handed a nine-year ban backdated to the start of his interim suspension, which took effect on July 13, 2023. He was deemed by the panel to have been ‘groomed’ by Higgins ‘and therefore not the driving force behind the conspiracy’.
Trainer Chris Honor was found to have misled the stewards after the race but was not deemed a driving force behind the scheme and was fined £750 when several mitigating factors were taken into account.
A BHA statement on Monday said: “The penalties imposed today on John Higgins and Dylan Kitts for conspiring to prevent Hillsin from winning send a clear message that British racing will not tolerate this type of behaviour.
“Running and riding horses to their best possible position is the minimum standard expected of all participants in British racing. It is vital that those involved in the sport have confidence that what they see happening on the track is clean and fair.
“The actions of Mr Higgins and Mr Kitts, who ignored this fundamental expectation, undermined the efforts of the tens of thousands of people who work tirelessly across the country to ensure that British racing remains a world 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 racing rules.
“This investigation was extensive in nature and bore little resemblance to a complex fraud case. Significant amounts of evidence were analyzed and numerous interviews were conducted, while this was also the first to utilize the ability to extract telephone records.
“Such work requires detailed examination of large amounts of data so that it can be translated into tangible information and to meet our disclosure obligations. Given the seriousness of the allegations in this case, it is appropriate that all appropriate efforts have been made to achieve this outcome.”
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