Tim Bell, who died in an accident on Wednesday, believed his move to Singapore would be the first step towards becoming one of the world's elite jockeys.

The exceptionally talented Bell made no secret of his desire to compete against the very best riders in the world in Hong Kong and Europe.

"I really want to challenge myself. I have held a long-term desire to test myself against the best and to compete on the world stage," Bell told AAP in an interview last month before he left for Singapore.

He felt riding in Singapore would be invaluable to his long-term career.

Bell had already established himself among the elite riders in Queensland and was one of the rising stars in the national jockey ranks.

"Riding overseas can only help with that. You only have to look at the riders who have come through Singapore to see how valuable a stint there can be," he told AAP.

"You have to aim high and have something to work towards."

Bell rode a winner at a Singapore meeting in July before accepting a three-month contract to ride there from September.

After delays in obtaining a visa, Bell made the move to Singapore early last month.

He got off to a great start with a double at Kranji on October 19 before landing his first Group One winner there last week.

Bell was only 22 but he had been riding for nearly seven years before the accident in Singapore, which wasn't racing-related.

Originally from Narrabri in country NSW, Bell burst onto the Brisbane racing scene when he rode four winners in a day at Doomben in January 2010.

He was the youngest rider to achieve the feat.

He served his apprenticeship with Sue Grills at Tamworth but his talent soon led to opportunities in Sydney and Brisbane and in 2011 he switched to the Gold Coast where he was stable rider for Patinack Farm.

After Bell split with Patinack and became a freelance rider, he won the 2013-14 Brisbane premiership with 135 winners overall.

Bell also rode his first Group one winner that year aboard Tinto in the Queensland Oaks.

He rode 112 overall winners last season when he surrendered his Brisbane title to Jim Byrne.

All up Bell rode 621 winners.

His career wasn't without controversy and he was sacked as Patinack's No.1 rider because he was tardy getting to trackwork in the morning.

However, he had a more mature attitude in recent times and saw Singapore as his stepping stone to the world.