Francis died at his home in the Caribbean, according to his son Felix. The cause of death is not known as WENN goes to press.
Starting his career as one of the U.K.’s most successful jockeys, Francis rode more than 350 winners before an injury stemming from a fall ended his horseracing career in 1957.
He went on to become a racing reporter on a U.K. newspaper, before writing his first novel. He wrote 42 in total, the last four with his son, Felix.
The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – a huge horseracing fan – was always the first to receive a copy of any new book Francis published.
His wife Mary died in 2000 after 53 years of marriage. He is survived by his two sons, five grandchildren and a great-grandson. He will be buried near his home in Grand Cayman.
