Lester Piggott© Photo Healy Racing
Lester Piggott is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery to have a pacemaker fitted.
One of the sport’s all-time great figures, Piggott, 83, was admitted to hospital at the start of this month and underwent tests while doctors monitored his condition.
His daughter Maureen Haggas, wife of Classic-winning trainer William Haggas, confirmed on Wednesday a pacemaker had been fitted to help her father’s heart beat normally and revealed he could return home as soon as this weekend.
“He had a pacemaker fitted around 10 days ago, but he’s going OK,” Haggas told Press Association Sport.
“He’s still in hospital at the moment. We’re hopeful he might be out by the weekend, but they’re not 100 per cent sure yet.
“He obviously wants to get out of there, but they won’t let him go unless they’re 100 per cent happy with him.”
Piggott — who had a spell in intensive care in 2007 in a Swiss hospital with a heart complaint — won the Derby a remarkable nine times.
He has been associated with many equine greats, including Nijinsky, dual Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Alleged, triple Ascot Gold Cup winner Sagaro and the globetrotting wonder mare Dahlia.
