Frankie Dettori pulls pints in Mirfield pub!

Mr Dettori, 44, is racing at York today, but still found time to visit his old pal Peter Murphy, assistant manager at the Pear Tree Inn, Mirfield.

Sipping a cup of tea, Frankie said: “I have known Peter for years and we are very good friends. He cooked me sea bass last night!

“I have not visited Mirfield before, but it seems like a very nice place.”

After checking which horse he was riding in the Racing Post, Frankie confirmed he would ride Foreign Diplomat in the 4.20 at York this afternoon, and was confident about his chances.

He said: “It is a good horse – I would say it was worth a couple of quid each way!”

Dettori and Murphy’s relationship goes back to the early 1990s, when Dettori used to ride horses for him, including Dead Calm, which was his first winner in Nottingham.

Mr Murphy said: “We go back a long way. He’s now 44, but when I first knew him he was a 19-year-old who couldn’t speak a word of English!

“I know everywhere he goes, everybody wants to speak to him, but he will always make time for them.”

“He has been a good friend to me and my family – he is a true gent.”