The strange couple turned heads at the opening day of the Glorious Goodwood Festival in West Sussex

Shane Warne eyes Liz Hurley

The strange couple turned heads at the opening day of the Glorious Goodwood Festival in West Sussex

Gala time: Elizabeth Hurley and Shane Warne (inset) went for the Glorious Goodwood race together in Sussex, yesterday afternoon. File pics

The former cricketer, fresh from hosting the Australia-Pakistan games, squired the British socialite to the Glorious Goodwood race meet yesterday.

Filling-in
Shane Warne (40), filled in for Hurley's husband and Indian textile heir Arun Nayar, who was conspicuously missing from the posh event in Sussex, south of London.

Online pals
The couple, who are chums on social networking site Twitter, mixed it with the creme of British high society.
The Estee Lauder model shared some intimate jokes with Warne as they stood in the VIP grandstand alongside British rugby legend Lawrence Dallaglio.

Betting tips
Getting stuck in a traffic jam on his way to the event, could not keep Warneu00a0-- a famed gambling fan -- away from the bookies.

Hurley, 45, who has just entered into owning thoroughbred racehorses, may have been getting some betting tips off Warne.

The bikini designer and farmer also wrote on her Twitter page, "Glorious Goodwood tomorrowu00a0-- justgot some tips from my racing mad shepherd whilst trying on hats."

Tailor-made
Warne, who wore an expensively tailored pale grey suit, stayed by Hurley's side.

But the chic surrounds and his bright, white teeth did not stop Warne from lighting up a sneaky fag in the grandstand.

The unlikely couple have been friends for years and occasionally share friendly chats on Twitter.

Warne has wholeheartedly embraced the Twitter phenomenon posting updates almost daily and counts British socialite Jemima Khan and pop star Kylie Minogue among his online friends.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels