Racing jockey allegedly restrained horse from victory following intimidation by Ashley Barnes' father-in-law from Burnley football club.

In a surprising turn of events, British racing authorities have charged trainer Chris Honour, jockey Dylan Kitts, and John Higgins, the father-in-law of Burnley striker Ashley Barnes, with committing and conspiring to commit a corrupt or fraudulent practice.

The controversy stems from an incident at Worcester Racecourse, where Kitts, a 24-year-old jockey, admitted to giving a stopping ride to horse Hillsin, prompting a two-year British Horseracing Authority (BHA) probe. The BHA heard evidence that this decision was influenced by financial transactions between Higgins and Kitts before the race on July 5.

On that day, Hillsin was backed into 2-1 favouritism for a two-and-a-half mile handicap hurdle. However, the horse drifted right out to 11-1 before the off. The BHA's legal representative, Louis Weston, stated that Kitts accepted the horse was given a stopping ride due to threats from Mr Higgins, confirmed by Chris Honour.

Honour and Kitts had 70 and 35 phone conversations respectively with each other in the six weeks leading up to Hillsin's race. Similarly, Honour also had 35 phone conversations with the horse's owner, Alan Clegg. Intriguingly, Clegg moved Hillsin from Honour's stable to the yard of Alan Jones the day after the race.

The BHA's investigation also uncovered evidence of Higgins and Barnes making money by punting on Hillsin at Exeter. Despite the mounting evidence, Higgins has declined to take part in the proceedings.

Kitts' licence was suspended after finishing third on Hillsin in July 2023. During the investigation, Kitts later admitted to the BHA that he had prevented Hillsin from winning. Weston stated that Higgins said to Honour that if things go well, more horses could come his way, implying his wealthy son-in-law, Barnes.

The ongoing hearing at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in central London is expected to last several days. It's important to note that Ashley Barnes, the Burnley footballer, is not linked to any of the allegations, nor is there any publicly available information linking him to being the father of John Higgins' son, being married to a Premier League player, or any involvement in a suspected horse racing bribery scandal.