Ted Dexter: England cricket legend who was equally at home on the racecourse

Ted Dexter, the former England and Sussex cricket captain who died on Wednesday aged 86, was a keen racing fan whose passion for the sport stretched to personal involvement as an owner.

Dexter died in a hospice in Wolverhampton surrounded by his family following "a recent illness", according to a statement.

As an owner, his first winner was Ocean Diamond in a novice hurdle at Cheltenham in January 1966, ridden by David Mould and trained by Peter Chisman at Alcester. He had bought the horse from Bill O'Gorman's father, William. He also owned greyhounds for a period.

Ocean Diamond won one more race for Dexter – a selling chase at Stratford in May 1967 by seven lengths under Josh Gifford, who would go on to train at Findon in Sussex.

During matches as captain of Sussex, the patrician Dexter would watch the racing on TV in the dressing room and ask the 12th man to go out and put his bets on for him.

At home matches he used to go to Brighton races after he was out, sometimes accompanied by the Duke of Norfolk, the president of Sussex County Cricket Club. He once declared the side's innings closed from the racecourse.

The duke, who also ran Ascot racecourse, once gave Dexter tickets to Royal Ascot's opening day, which gave him the incentive to win a Test match early so that he could use them.

His former teammate John Snow, quoted on espncricinfo.com, said: "Ted was a man of moods, often caught up in theories, keen when the action was hot, seemingly uninterested when the game was dull . . . a big-time player, one who responded to atmosphere, liked action and enjoyed the chase and gamble.

"Maybe this was the reason he was drawn to horseracing so that a dull day stalking the covers might be enlivened for him by thoughts of how his money was faring on the 3.15 at Ascot or Goodwood."

A successful businessman, Dexter ran a PR company and in 1978 introduced an award for the best riding performance in the Grand National. The prize was a video recorder at a time when few people owned one, and in 1981 the judges, John Oaksey and Richard Pitman, did not have to think hard before awarding it to Bob Champion after his success on Aldaniti.

Dexter was appointed CBE in 2001 and also served as president of the MCC in 2001-02.