TRAINER Chris Honour has asked the owner of Hillsin – the runner at the centre of a racing storm – to remove his horses from the yard.
The Alan Clegg-owned five-year-old has been prevented from running for 40 days and jockey Dylan Kitts referred to the BHA after his controversial third at Worcester on Wednesday.
Hillsin, who drifted out to 11-1 from 7-1 shortly before the start of the 5.28 race, was beaten a length and a half by the winner, Bensini.
Both the jockey and trainer were called in by the stewards after Kitts appeared to handle the gelding very tenderly after the last when the horse was still travelling well and held every chance.
Devon-based former jockey Honour, who has trained 22 winners under Rules, said he was ‘very disappointed‘ with the ride and strongly denied that he had instructed Kitts to 'stop' the horse.
The trainer revealed that he and his wife had received threats from angry punters since the race.
On Thursday morning he asked Clegg, originally from Plymouth, to remove his two horses, including Hillsin, from the stable.
Honour said: “I don’t want to get involved in saying what has or hasn’t happened.
“All I can say is the horse was there to do his best, as all of ours are.
“What he did from the last, I don’t want to get the lad (Kitts) in trouble and I don’t know if there is anymore to it, but it was obviously very disappointing.
“I’ve spoken to the owner and said I would love to keep the horses, but I just don’t want to be associated with this anymore.
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“I don’t want to go to the races with him next time and have people still talking about it, I just want it to end.
“The horses have only been here about four or five weeks but they will be going to another trainer this afternoon. The owner has been good about it and is as embarrassed as I am.
“I have no idea if me not wanting the horses around looks like I’m implying something, but I just want this to go away.
“My kids and my family mean far more to me than having the horses here, and it makes me so sad that they have had to be subjected to threats over the phone and on social media.
“There is going to be an integrity investigation but I know hand on my heart that I have done nothing wrong.”
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