John Higgins, father-in-law of footballer Ashley Barnes, has been accused by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) of conspiring to deliberately stop the horse Hillsin from winning a race at Worcester in July 2023. Jockey Dylan Kitts admitted to holding back the horse under alleged threats from Higgins, who denies the charges and has not participated in the inquiry due to illness. Trainer Chris Honour also denies involvement, while Higgins and Barnes were previously excluded from racing for failing to cooperate with the investigation. BHA counsel Louis Weston argued that Higgins orchestrated the plan to fix the race, highlighting Kitts’s testimony and the suspicious circumstances surrounding the ride.

Kitts’s family claim he was manipulated and threatened by Higgins, describing him as a “lunatic” who pressured Kitts to ensure the horse did not win, even at great personal risk. Honour’s defense maintains his innocence, stating the charges rely solely on Kitts’s allegations without further evidence. The inquiry panel, led by HH Clement Goldstone KC, is set to decide whether Kitts’s ride was deliberately stopped under instructions and if Honour was complicit. The panel’s final decision is pending.