Plans are in the pipeline to hold a celebration of Terry Biddlecombe’s life at Cheltenham racecourse – the scene of so many of his great triumphs.

The three-times champion jockey died at West Lockinge, near Wantage, aged 72, on Sunday after a lengthy illness.

And yesterday his wife, Henrietta Knight, revealed that it was planned to have a small family funeral, followed by a celebration of his life at Prestbury Park in a few weeks’ time.

Biddlecombe’s greatest success came aboard Woodland Venture in the 1967 Cheltenham Gold Cup.

And he also played a leading role as Knight trained Best Mate to win a hat-trick of Cheltenham Gold Cups under Jim Culloty from 2002-4.

She said: “It would be nice if everyone could go and pay their respects and have happy memories of him.

“Cheltenham was his home because he was from near Gloucester, and it was his favourite racecourse – that would be fitting.

“He had some wonderful days there and knew Cheltenham so well, both as a jockey and helping me with Best Mate and finding the best ground around the course.

“He used to watch him nearly every day out on the gallops, and he was involved in where to run him and what to feed him.

“He always fed him in the morning and always gave him his breakfast, so he was a big part of it.

“With Jim Culloty he was fanatastic. He and the horse got on so well, and Terry was very helpful to Jim.”