Chris Honour, Trainer, Speaks Out About Abuse After Hillsin’s Loss at Worcester

Controversy Surrounds Hillsin’s Performance at Worcester

In an unexpected turn of events, the performance of Hillsin at the recent race in Worcester has sparked controversy and left trainer Chris Honour deeply troubled. The horse, ridden by Dylan Kitts, finished third despite showing great promise during the two-and-a-half mile conditional riders’ handicap hurdle.

The outcome of the race came under scrutiny as raceday stewards held an inquiry and subsequently referred Kitts to the British Horseracing Authority. As a result, Hillsin has been suspended from running for 40 days. This news not only shook Honour but also had a devastating impact on his family.

Speaking candidly on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, Honour expressed his dismay over the situation: “I’m beside myself about the whole thing. I’ve had phone calls to my wife last night and she’s been in tears. I’m upset with it and it is not something I want to be involved in.”

Honour defended his actions, claiming that he had done everything right leading up to the race: “In my mind I did my job right, the horse has run one of the best races of his career…but I told him not to let go of his head and he’s gone to an extreme.”

The aftermath of this incident has taken its toll on Honour and his family both emotionally and reputation-wise: “Reading Twitter and Facebook is horrible for us…it is not something I want to be associated with…It’s a disappointing scenario to be dealing with quite frankly.”

Affection for Horses Turned Sour

Horse racing holds a special place in Chris Honour’s heart; he treats horses like they are part of his own family. However, following this incident with Hillsin, there seems to be a rift in this affectionate bond.

Honour, while feeding Hillsin and reflecting on the consequences of the race, couldn’t help but feel immense disappointment: “I looked at him and thought you’ve caused one of the worst days in my racing career. It upsets me.”

He emphasized that stopping horses is not their goal as trainers and riders: “We try to think outside the box about how we ride our horses and how to campaign them…But I cannot dispute it looks awful.”

Miscommunication Leads to Regret

Dylan Kitts, a 7lb claimer who rode Hillsin for Honour’s stable for the first time, finds himself at the center of this controversy. Honour had initially wanted Bryan Carver as his jockey but was overruled by owners who insisted on Kitts.

With little interaction prior to race day, Honour provided instructions to Kitts with hopes for a successful run: “From there I can’t ride the race for him…he’s done as I have asked, but he’s done it to an extreme that isn’t enough.”

The confusion surrounding communication between Honor and Kitts has left both parties feeling embarrassed by the outcome. While some accuse them of deliberately stopping Hillsin, they maintain their integrity: “People are saying we have stopped it…but that’s not me…it is against my ethos of how we run and train our horses.”

A Hopeful Future Ahead

In spite of this challenging situation, Chris Honour remains optimistic about his training methods and future races. He prides himself on pushing boundaries when it comes to developing unique strategies for his horses.

“We have punched above our weight,” he stated confidently. Although facing criticism now due to recent events, Honor believes he has created an environment where his horses can exceed expectations.

While this incident has cast a shadow over Honour’s reputation, he continues to emphasize the importance of fair competition and genuine efforts in horse racing: “I would never tell someone not to win…it’s not even fair to ask someone not to win…I don’t want people to think bad or ill of us because it’s not us and it’s not what we do. But I cannot dispute it looks awful.”