FORMER champion Queensland jockey Russell Maddock, who rode for the Queen during his illustrious career, has died aged 96.

AAP reports that Maddock was a trail blazer for Australian jockeys in the United Kingdom and France and rode with some of the immortals of the Australian turf such Neville Sellwood, George Moore, Scobie Breasley, and Ron Hutchinson.

Maddock was born in Brisbane and began an apprenticeship in the mid-1930s riding his first winner, Camogean, in Toowoomba in 1936.

He went on to win nine Brisbane jockeys' premierships.

Maddock won around 70 Brisbane feature winners including the Stradbroke Handicap (High Rank), the Doomben 10,000 (High Rank, Port Raider) the Doomben Cup (Earlwood twice) Queensland Derby (Sefinoa) and Queensland Oaks (Golden Stockade).

He had a short stint in Malaysia in 1960 before moving to the UK where he established himself among the elite jockeys, riding on several occasions for the Queen and the Queen Mother.

He rode a winner at his first ride in England aboard Mix 'n' Match at Aintree on March 25, 1961 and for the next decade he was among the leading riders.

Maddock was badly hurt in a fall at Brighton in 1969 which ended his riding career.

In the 1980s Maddock returned to Australia with his family and settled on the Gold Coast where he lived until his death on Sunday.

For many years he worked as a trackwork reporter for The Courier Mail in Brisbane.

Former turf editor and current Brisbane Race Club racing manager Bart Sinclair said Maddock had maintained strong interest in racing until ill health weakened him in the past 12 months.

"He rates with the very best jockeys from Queensland which is saying something when you mention Moore, Sellwood, McGrowdie, Dittman, etcetera," Sinclair said.