Legendary retired English jockey Lester Piggott is recovering in hospital after undergoing surgery to have a pacemaker fitted.

One of the sport's all-time great figures, 83-year-old Piggott has been hospital since the beginning of this month.

His daughter Maureen Haggas, wife of trainer William Haggas, confirmed a pacemaker had been fitted to help her father's heart beat normally and said 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 Epsom 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.