Jockey Frankie Dettori has been named as one of the six nominees for this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

The Italian, who has a home in Newmarket where he has been based for much of his glittering racing career, was the first contestant to be voted off in this year's series of reality TV show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

He had announced that 2023 was going to be his last year in the saddle but, after so much success, he had a change of heart and opted to continue his career in America.

This season he won the 2000 Guineas on Chaldean and two of the five Classics on offer by taking the Oaks on Soul Sister.

Further big-race glory followed at Royal Ascot in the Gold Cup on Courage Mon Ami and the winners continued to flow – so much so that he later admitted that by August he was having second thoughts about his retirement decision.

On Champions Day at Ascot, his scheduled last meeting in Britain, he produced a stellar ride on Trawlerman in the Long Distance Cup and signed off in customary fairytale fashion by winning the Champion Stakes on King Of Steel.

The BBC Sports Personality of the Year award event will take place on Tuesday, December 19.

Norfolk wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett is among the other nominees which include cricketer Stuart Broad, England goalkeeper Mary Earps,  heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and golfer Rory McIIroy.

Sir Anthony McCoy is currently the only Jockey to have won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2010.

Dettori himself finished third in 1996, the year of his ‘Magnificent Seven’ when he went through the card with all seven winners at Ascot.