Darcy and Lyn Maddock's Home Page

horse racing

RUSSELL MADDOCK

QUEENSLAND'S LEADING JOCKEY 9 TIMES

Russ Maddock began riding in Toowoomba Queensland Australia in his early teens in the early 30s and his first winner in 1936. By the time WWII began he was established and beginning to make his mark in Brisbane. Many American and Australian servicemen increased their leave pay by following Russ Maddock around the 'the Creek' during the war years.

His second premiership which he won in 1946 was an outstanding feat considering he only rode from August (the start of the season) to mid December. He broke his leg badly in a race fall and was out for the rest of the season. He was so far ahead of the opposition that he still had a one win lead at the end of the season the following July. That included The Queensland Guineas, The Hopeful Stakes, Ascot H'cap and the Queensland Cup. When you think that those 32 winners were over only 17 meetings with a possible 52 meetings in a full year, a hundred winners in a full year was not an impossibility with that strike rate. Up until this time jockeys were not awarded trophies in Queensland for winning the premiership, however because this feat was so outstanding the Queensland Turf Club awarded a magnificent trophy which was the first ever presented to the winning Queensland Premiership Jockey. Even to this day I do not know of a comparative achievement in Australian racing.

During the thirties through to the early sixties Queensland was blessed with some the best Jockeys in Australia. Some of these ended up riding in Britain after trying their luck in the south. As early as the late thirties Russ was tempted by major offers to ride in the south. A very large financial reward was offered from a well known Victorian. He refused the offer so that he could stay in Queensland. I am very grateful for that decision as otherwise I would have been born a Victorian. While he did accept rides in certain events in the south he always based himself in Queensland. In the early fifties he refused offers to ride in Ireland and Britain as at the time it would have meant leaving his family behind. The family always came first and consequently he was not a party type which probably cut back on some opportunities to pick up rides on good horses. He earned his rides on his ability rather than a "hail fellow well met" attitude.

In August 1955 he won the Exhibition treble (Ascot Handicap 13 August, Exhibition Handicap 17 August and Metropolitan Handicap 20 August) on Proletaire. Each race was won in record time. No other jockey/horse combination has ever been successful in this group of races.

Russ went on to win nine premierships and was usually runner up in the others in Queensland along with most of the major races in Queensland and gems like The Epsom (on Timor) and the Wirrabee Cup (also Timor). In 1959 he was honoured as Jockey of the Century along with Merv Wrigley as Apprentice Jockey of the Century. After a final successful premiership with back to back Doomben Cups on the great Earlwood (both races in record times and a little known fact was that Earlwood nearly died after the first Doomben Cup from snake bite. The second cup was Earlwood's first race back after the previous cup). Russ left for a short stint in Malaysia on his way to the United Kingdom to achieve every jockey's dream. To ride on the famous turf of the British racing world. In his time in Europe he rode for many of the nobility and had the honour of riding for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. He rode 800 odd winners both there and on the continent until another bad fall ended his career late in 1969.

Guiding Light returning to scale

Hyette in full flight

Russ Maddock aboard Earlwood winner of two Doomben Cups with owner Bill Jones holding the bridle.

Russ Maddock winning at Albion Park "The Creek" racetrack. A tough training ground for jockeys.

In the Queensland 1959 Centennial celebrations he was announced the Jockey of the Century and received a medal to signify this honour

at the same time Mervyn Wrigley was announced Apprentice Jockey of the Century and received a medal also.

In his career Russell Maddock rode 244 doubles, 44 trebles, 4 quadruples and two quinellas

MAJOR RACE WINS BY RUSSELL MADDOCK

11/05/1936-27/09/1969

WARWICK CUP RIVOLI GIFT 24/10/1940 1941
STRADBROKE HIGH RANK 03/05/1941
DOOMBEN NEWMARKET [ST 6] HIGH RANK 05/07/1941
MAY HANDICAP LADY BUZZARD 02/05/1941 1945
DOOMBEN NEWMARKET [A.P] PORT RAIDER 14/07/1945 1946
WEETWOOD HANDICAP HIGHSTRUNG 05/04/1946
ASCOT HANDICAP EVERTON 10/08/1946
QUEENSLAND GUINEAS MAYTOWN 12/10/1946
HOPEFUL STAKES RAYLAND 02/11/1946
QUEENSLAND CUP GUIDING LIGHT 09/11/19461947
QUEENSLAND GUINEAS SEFIONA 11/10/1947
QUEENSLAND DERBY SEFIONA 01/11/1947 1948
GIBSON CARMICHAEL STKS BRUVAROS 06/03/1948
TOOWOOMBA CUP EMROSE 24/04/1948
ST LEGER SEFIONA 03/05/1948
SIRES PRODUCE STKS REAL STEP 08/05/1948
IPSWICH CUP EMROSE 15/05/1948
JUNE STAKES RADSTOCK 12/06/1948
BRISBANE HANDICAP HYETTE 06/11/1948 1949
HOPEFUL STAKES CONISTON 05/11/1949 1950
SIRES PRODUCE STAKES CONISTON 01/05/1950
NATIONAL PLATE [W.F.A.] SPELLMAN 05/08/1950
EXHIBITION HANDICAP SPELLMAN 12/08/1950
QUEENSLAND GUINEAS CONISTON 14/10/1950
QUEENSLAND CUP BLUE VEST 11/11/1950 1951
CLARET STAKES KHAZANA 05/05/1951
MORETON HANDICAP SHANALAN 05/05/1951 1952
P.J.O'SHEA STAKES SPELLMAN 03/05/1952 1953
NEW YEAR GIFT DAASRAE 01/01/1953 1954
ALBION TWO THOUSAND EURYTUS 31/07/1954
Q.T.C. PROVINCIAL CUP GLEN DAWN 23/06/1954
FREE HANDICAP PASSING 15/08/1954
B.A.T.C. SUMMER CUP BIG SPREE 06/11/1954
Q.T.C. QUEENSLAND CUP BIG SPREE 20/11/1954 1955
CLARET STAKES ROYAL GAEKWAR 18/06/1955
LIGHTNING HANDICAP KING'S FAIR 18/06/1955
ALBION TWO THOUSAND GOOD DRAWING 06/08/1955
ASCOT HANDICAP PROLETAIRE 13/08/1955
EXHIBITION HANDICAP PROLETAIRE 17/08/1955
METROPOLITAN HANDICAP PROLETAIRE 20/08/1955
WIDDEN STAKES [RANDWICK] ROYAL MAUREEN 08/10/1955
QUEENSLAND GUINEAS ABOUKIR 15/10/1955
DOOMBEN STAKES ABOUKIR 29/10/1955
ALBION TWO THOUSAND COOL CUSTOMER 24/12/1955 1956
MORETON HANDICAP LANDY 09/06/1956
C.E.MCDOUGALL STAKES NILISA [EQUAL REC.] 20/10/1956
HOPEFUL STAKES COOMBE MARTIN [''] 20/10/1956 1957
EASTER HANDICAP ROYAL MERIDIAN 20/04/1957
ALBION TWO THOUSAND NGARUWAHIA 27/06/1957
EPSON [RANDWICK] TIMOR 05/10/1957
WERRIBIE CUP TIMOR 30/10/1957 1958
TATTERSALL'S CUP COOL GENT 28/06/1958
ALBION TWO THOUSAND FRENCH CHARM 19/07/1958
C.E.MCDOUGALL STAKES ROYAL ZETA 18/10/1958
''QUEENSTAR'' 1959
QUEENSLAND OAKS GOLDEN STOCKADE 20/06/1959
CLARET STAKES GREENWOOD STAR 20/06/1959
INVITATION STAKES [T'VILLE] CASI GLEN 09/07/1959
DOOMBEN CUP EARLWOOD 11/07/1959
PRINCESS ALEXANDRA STKS GRIFITE 22/08/1959
D.J.O'MARA STKS NEW ROMANCE 03/10/1959
HOPEFUL STKS REFULGENT 14/10/1959
SUMMER CUP BYSTANDER 07/11/1959 1960
DOOMBEN CUP EARLWOOD 09/07/1960
UK 1961
UK FREE H'CAP THE POUNCER 03/04/1961
UK CHEVIOT H'CAP STKS HARD MASTER 07/08/1961 Australia 1961
AUST HOPEFUL STKS REGO'S WONDER 21/10/1961 UK 1962
UK CHESTER STAKES NEVERSON'S LAD 30/06/1962
UK LIVERPOOL SUMMER CUP PORT CORSAIR 04/07/1962
UK DOCKER'S DERBY SECKAR VALE 13/07/1962
UK THE THIRSK MILE BOBSBEST 04/08/1962 Australia 1962
AUST ALBION TWO THOUSAND WEST GLANCE 22/12/1962 UK 1963
UK BASS H'CAP AVIATOR 08/06/1963
UK BELL MEMORIAL H'CAP LITTLE WORLD 15/06/1963
UK LANARK SUMMER H'CAP PICKAPEPPER 17/07/1963
UK TOLLY COBBOLD TROPHY URUGANO 10/08/1963
UK CHANTFOUR 17/08/1963
UK PRINCE OF WALES STKS ALTHREY DON 20/08/1963
UK HORNBLOWER PLATE PUSHFULL 24/08/1963
UK LANARK SILVER BELL HEJAZ 09/09/1963
UK ROUS NURSERY H'CAP YOUNG TURNABOUT 10/09/1963
UK FITZWILLIAM STKS PALM TREE 11/09/1963
UK LADY KIRK PLATE ALTHREY DON 19/09/1963 1964
UK GREAT CHESHIRE STKS LITTLE WORLD 05/05/1964
UK HAREWOOD H'CAP AVIATOR 16/05/1964
UK ROYAL ASCOT PRINCELONE 16/06/1964
UK GOSFORD PARK CUP MASTER MARINER 26/06/1964
UK CHESTER SUMMER H'CAP LITTLE WORLD 11/07/1964
UK RIPON ? YOUNG NELSON 25/07/1964
UK RIPON ? MAYVILLE 25/07/1964
UK THE NUNTHORPE STKS ALTHREY DON 18/08/1964 1965
UK THE UK FREE HANDICAP SHORT COMMONS 06/04/1965
UK GOODWOOD REGULAR GUY 30/07/1965 still to be further updated