On-course bookie Mickey Fletcher, aka The Asparagus Kid, is one of the biggest characters in British racing. Here he talks to Dave Fowler about Champagne, bullfighting and his fears for the future of the sport he loves.



'I was staying in central Calcutta near the cricket ground,' starts Mickey Fletcher as the 5.45 gets under starter's orders. 'The orphanage where Mother Theresa worked was about a mile away, so one day I decided to go around and pay her a visit, like. That's no joke. Anyway, she asked me what I did for a living and I said 'racecourse bookmaker'. She said she would pray for me.