Jockey Dylan Kitts admitted to deliberately restraining his horse, Hillsin, from performing to its full potential during a July 2023 handicap hurdle at Worcester, following threats from John Higgins, the father-in-law of Premier League footballer Ashley Barnes. Kitts, along with trainer Chris Honour and Higgins—an associate of the horse’s owner Alan Clegg—are facing a disciplinary hearing for allegedly conspiring to commit a corrupt practice by agreeing to prevent the horse from achieving its best placing.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) revealed that Kitts made this admission during an October 2023 interview. Higgins and Barnes have both been placed on the BHA’s exclusion list after failing to cooperate with the investigation, including refusing to provide phone records. The case centers on claims that Kitts was pressured by Higgins and Honour to give a “stopping ride,” effectively ensuring the horse would not win the race.