Maureen Dittman, wife of former champion jockey Mick Dittman, has died after a long battle with illness.She was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1993 and was given six weeks to live but bravely fought the disease for 16 years before her death on Monday.Maureen Dittman, 59, was a top-class horsewoman and ribbon-winning show rider before becoming a successful horse trainer at the Gold Coast.She trained only a handful of horses but captured her biggest win when All Ashore won the 1990 Goldmarket Ha

Maureen Dittman, wife of former champion jockey Mick Dittman, has died after a long battle with illness.

She was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1993 and was given six weeks to live but bravely fought the disease for 16 years before her death on Monday.

Maureen Dittman, 59, was a top-class horsewoman and ribbon-winning show rider before becoming a successful horse trainer at the Gold Coast.

She trained only a handful of horses but captured her biggest win when All Ashore won the 1990 Goldmarket Handicap at her local track.

Mick Dittman, who is now a bloodstock manager in Singapore, returned to the Gold Coast last week to be by his wife's side.

The pair have one son, Luke Dittman, who was 21 months old when Maureen Dittman was first diagnosed with the brain tumour.

Luke is also a jockey but his career has been derailed by weight problems and he now plans to ride in France where the weight scale is higher.

A funeral service for Maureen Dittman will be held on the Gold Coast later this week.