'We wanted them off the yard' - Chris Honour asks Hillsin owner to remove horses after Worcester controversy

Hillsin, the horse banned from racing for 40 days after a controversial ride by jockey Dylan Kitts at Worcester on Wednesday evening, has left the Newton Abbot yard of Chris Honour.

The trainer has described the fallout from the event as "horrible", with the criticism aimed in his direction going as far as death threats. As a consequence, he requested owner Alan Clegg remove both Hillsin and stablemate Colonel Lesley from his yard. Both horses were transferred to Brian Barr's stable in Dorset on Thursday.

"We wanted them off the yard," said Honour. "I don't want to go racing with them because it's going to keep bringing back bad publicity. I'd rather be away from it and don't want to be part of it. I've never spoken to so many reporters as today and I don't want the media circus around this.

"I'm not part of this, I've done my job and that horse was fit and ready to roll. End of. It's better to just walk from it and they've gone to Brian Barr's."

Hillsin (circled): beaten one-and-a-quarter lengths in third without ever appearing to be asked for his finishing effortCredit: Sky Sports Racing

Making his first start for Honour in the 2m4f conditional riders' handicap hurdle, Hillsin was beaten one and a quarter lengths in third, but was subsequently suspended from running for 40 days by the stewards at Worcester, who referred the ride by jockey Kitts to the BHA.

The stewards noted how Hillsin had travelled strongly down the home straight but without ever appearing to be asked for his finishing effort. Kitts reported to the stewards that Hillsin  made a respiratory noise towards the end of the back straight, which continued on several more occasions throughout the race, and that the gelding had also hung badly right-handed, which restricted his ability to be more vigorous in the home straight.

Honour said on Thursday that he was satisfied with the ride until the closing stages where, in his opinion, a more rigorous effort by the rider would have seen Hillsin win. The 44-year-old trainer was at pains to make clear that every horse in his care runs on its merits.

"It's a horrible situation," said Honour. "I've barely slept. We've had death threats and all sorts. I'm not this kind of person. I don't stop horses and the horse ran well. I did my job. My job is to send a horse there capable of doing their best and he did his best. It was his first run for me and he's performed to one of his better levels. I thought he ran very well and what happened after the last is very disappointing.

"I've asked the lad [Kitts] to keep a hold of his head and I think, looking back on it, he'll agree he didn't do enough from halfway up the run-in. The horse was there to do his best. We've ridden him accordingly and he's got it wrong."

Chris Honour on jockey Dylan Kitts: "I feel sorry for the lad because he's only young"Credit: John Grossick

Honour told the stewards on the day how he had emphasised to the rider that Hillsin needed to be held together for as long as possible based on his analysis of the gelding's run at Exeter two starts back, when he did not get home for previous trainer Claire Harris.

Honour, a former rider with 75 wins to his name over jumps, added: "I feel sorry for the lad because he's only young. I'm a bit older and wiser and know that hopefully this will blow over.

"The horse has run well. You can see that and he should have won but he hasn't. The only argument is if he had let go of his head, whether he'd have gone forward, but in my eyes he would have gone forward had he been a little more vigorous than he was."

'It's a horrible situation to be in'

The trainer said Hillsin had been in his care for a month, during which time he had not detected a respiratory issue but that he had hung in his previous races, which can often be a sign of a breathing issue.

As well as threats and insults on social media, Honour said he had received anonymous calls on his home landline and that his wife had even taken a death threat from one caller.

He said: "It's upsetting for my whole team. We had a death threat on my landline when I wasn't home to my wife. Nobody needs that and I can't justify why someone would do that. I'm sad it's gone to a point where you feel your family is under threat. We do our best and I'm disappointed the horse hasn't won. It's a horrible situation to be in."

Having opened at 10-1 with bookmakers the previous day, Hillsin was backed into as short as 2-1 on Wednesday morning before drifting. He opened at 7-1 on course and returned at 11-1. It was the first time Kitts had ridden for the stable and Honour said it was the owner's decision to use him.

Honour, who has a team of 14 horses, added: "There's an investigation going on and I don't think it benefits anybody throwing mud. At the end of the day, I know I've done nothing wrong."

'He's just got it very, very wrong'

Kitts's agent Sam Stronge said he had not as yet spoken with the rider when contacted on Thursday but felt the jockey may have "overegged" the instructions he had been given.

Stronge said: "He's a young lad and I don't think there's any malice in Dylan. I think he may have just overegged the riding instructions. It looked bad but I think he's just got it very, very wrong.

"From Dylan's perspective, I don't think there's anything more untoward than that. The rest, I'm sure, is going to be under investigation but Dylan is not a bad lad and is trying his hardest to get on the best he can."

Close up comment

Held up in rear, headway 6th, in touch with leaders after 4 out, going easily but tenderly handled home straight, lost ground 3 out, stayed on and went third run-in, eyecatcher

Analysis comment

Debuting for a new trainer, opened 10-1 the previous day and was backed into 2-1 first thing in the morning, but he drifted right back out again before the off. He couldn't have been more eyecatching, looking to be going well in the straight but getting a soft ride. He had faded on the run-in under more forceful handling from this jockey two starts back and he's a long-standing maiden, but this did not look good. The rider reported his mount made a respiratory noise and hung badly right, but the stewards suspended the horse from running in any race for 40 days and the matter was referred to the head office of the BHA.

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