Ex-Premier League star Ashley Barnes BANNED from attending all horse racing amid investigation into ‘scandalous’ race
Norwich city striker Ashley Barnes has been warned off by the British Horseracing Authority for failing to cooperate with an investigation.
The forward has been placed on the BHA’s disqualified persons list and, under the rules of racing, he will not even be able to attend a race meeting while he is banned.
Ashley Barnes has been warned off by the BHACredit: Getty
The BHA are still looking into the Hillsin running and riding affair from last summer
Barnes, 34, currently has six goals for Championship play-off chasing Norwich, and previously he’d netted 51 times in 268 games for Premier League side Burnley.
He had been a registered owner in Britain with hurdler Manor Park carrying his colours to success at Newton Abbot in June 2021 when trained by Brian Barr.
However, this month he was warned off for failing to cooperate with investigators who are looking into the Hillsin running and riding affair at Worcester last summer, according to the Racing Post.
Racing chiefs launched and investigation after six-year-old Hillsin finished a never-nearer third under jockey Dylan Kitts having drifted out to 11-1 from 2-1 favourite.
Kitts has not ridden in public since then, and was recently added to the banned persons list before the BHA removed him after providing investigators with what they’d been seeking.
Barnes has no direct link to the horse, but the Racing Post claims the BHA are seeking phone records from the striker and his father-in-law John Higgins in relation to its ongoing investigation.
The horse was banned from running for 40 days, trainer Chris Honour moved the horse out of his yard while the horse’s owner Alan Clegg claimed he had done nothing wrong.
A BHA spokesperson said: “The BHA can confirm that the Ashley Barnes listed as an excluded person on our website is the professional footballer Ashley Barnes.
“Mr Barnes has been excluded due to a failure to cooperate with a BHA investigation.
"As that investigation is ongoing, the BHA will make no further comment.”
The Hillsin incident provoked an angry reaction from punters at the time, with some describing it as ’scandalous’ and ’appalling’.
One furious viewer wrote online: "Most shambolic and disgraceful thing I’ve seen."
Another wrote: "That ’ride’ from Dylan Kitts on Hillsin in the final race at Worcester was an utter shambles."
While one post read: "I don’t care who this offends, take the trainer and jockey licence off them now. That’s scandalous."
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