John Higgins, Dylan Kitts, and Chris Honour—the rider and trainer connected to the horse Hillsin—are facing serious corruption charges related to a race at Worcester in July 2023. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has investigated for over two years after suspicions arose that Hillsin was deliberately prevented from winning, as the horse appeared not to be asked for its full effort while finishing third despite being the favorite. Hillsin was subsequently banned from racing for 40 days, and Kitts, who has not raced since, was initially excluded for non-cooperation but later reinstated.

The charges allege that Higgins, Kitts, and Honour conspired to stop Hillsin from achieving its best possible position, with Kitts accused of deliberately “stopping” the horse and Honour charged with encouraging this behavior and lying to stewards. John Higgins and footballer Ashley Barnes’s father-in-law, both on the BHA’s exclusion list for failing to cooperate, along with Honour, who denies wrongdoing, will face a disciplinary panel hearing on Monday to determine the outcome of these allegations.