'Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to stick a few into him' - the shocking behaviour that brought down Milton Harris

British racing’s licensing committee published a 17,000-word report on Wednesday into why it was refusing to allow Milton Harris to return to training, outlining a number of ways in which he had breached the terms of his licence and was deemed not to be a fit and proper person to hold one. 

Bullying and harassment

Harris had multiple disputes with his neighbour and fellow trainer Simon Earle over the condition of a shared gallop, land usage, schooling poles and the presence of a pony owned by Earle that Harris claimed spooked his string regularly.

Earle had complained to the BHA in January 2020 “regarding intruders in his yard and concerns about possible contamination of his horses with banned substances”. While there was no evidence for this, the committee said it indicated Earle’s “state of heightened emotion and anxiety” caused by Harris. 

In July 2020, Earle reported Harris to the authorities over potential breaches of Covid protocols due to an event Harris was hosting at his yard. Harris told Earle: “If I’m finished with you, I’ll f****** hit you. I’m finished with you.”

In June 2022, there were two disputes between the trainers, including one in Earle’s yard when Harris shouted in his direction: “He pisses about playing at this job. He’s pathetic. You’re just f****** pathetic. You want to have a bit of me, step in the field with me and we’ll sort it out like men.

“There’s nothing would give me greater pleasure [than] to stick a few into him and, of course, straight to the police. He ain’t a man who’d stand up. Just pretty pathetic. He’s actually useless. You’re useless. You are f****** useless. Do you – you have no idea how pathetic people think you are. All my girls think you’re pathetic. Everybody does. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look at him. Look, he’s stood here looking at everything like a little schoolboy. He’s got mental issues.”

The committee concluded: “Harris has had a significant adverse impact on Earle’s psychological wellbeing, which ought to have been entirely foreseeable to him. We find that Harris did not care whether he caused Earle harm.”

Inappropriate conduct towards young girls

Harris displayed conduct towards two young women that was “inappropriate”, according to the licensing committee. His interactions with the girls were cited by the committee, one a girl aged between 14-16 (SJO) and another who was 12-13 (LHR). 

The committee was told how Harris had SJO saved in his phone as ‘Lovely Young Girl’ and would send her messages on WhatsApp, where his avatar was a naked woman (said to be a self-portrait of an artist friend). Harris offered to pay for SJO’s exams, calling her a “stroppy cow” when she refused, and it was found that he would message her “persistently over the details of where she is going, who she is going with and why”. 

The committee said: “The amount of information he is seeking is completely out of proportion to the relationship of employer and employee. He has blurred the boundaries, and this is evidence that he is seeking to exercise power and control over SJO outside of the work relationship.”

Harris also made several ‘jokes’ with sexual innuendos, which he characterised as “banter” and “chuckled at” when he reread them during the hearing.

Harris would also seek to gain SJO’s attention at the staff hostel, knocking on her window or standing in her doorway when he went to get ice for his nightly gin and tonic. On occasions she would pretend to be asleep, on others she said there was no discomfort at his presence. The committee said Harris’s actions towards SJO were not done for “reasons of sexual gratification”.

LHR worked for Harris for two weeks on work experience and described Harris as setting “a toxic tone” around issues such as weight.

LHR also outlined an occasion when she was unable to open Harris’s car door on the gallops and said that “Harris laughed and made a comment about liking to keep all girls locked in”. She also said that a large black car containing Harris had slowed down when passing her at a bus stop and sounded its horn at a time when Harris was aware he could not contact witnesses. Harris denied either incident took place.

Company director

Harris’s licence stated that he could not be an owner, director or shadow director or have any financial link to Avon Racing Limited (ARL), the business set up to allow him to return to training in 2018, other than a contract of employment whose terms would be provided by the BHA.

However, Harris was appointed the sole shareholder of ARL in October 2021. He contacted the BHA on several occasions to request the condition against him being a director was removed – and had concerns expressed to him about the prospect – but the licensing committee concluded “he had made up his mind that he was going to take over control of ARL and his conduct was designed with the sole objective of pressuring the BHA into accepting that outcome”.

Buying and selling

Harris was not permitted to buy or sell horses on behalf of others, or have a financial relationship with ARL beyond the terms of his contract of employment. 

However, the licensing committee deemed that Harris had been buying horses under his own MFH Bloodstock operation and turning them over to ARL to circumvent the conditions on his licence.

Read this next . . .

Milton Harris has training licence removed indefinitely as committee rules he is 'not a fit and proper person' 

The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, the reigning Racing Writer of the Year, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content