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Racing is mourning the death of jockey Chris Caserta.

The body of Gold Coast-based jockey Chris Caserta has been recovered after being located in waters off Main Beach. 

Queensland Police reported Surf Life Saving Queensland lifesavers on wave runners found Caserta's body in the surf break just south of the sand pumping jetty around 8.30am on Friday. 

The body has since been formally identified as that of the jockey. 

Caserta went missing on Wednesday night after going for a swim following dinner with Gold Coast apprentice Amy Graham. 

The pair got into trouble and while Graham was rescued Caserta went missing before a large-scale search was conducted on the Gold Coast on Thursday. 

Caserta started his riding career in Victoria when apprenticed to Russell Cameron in 2012 and had his first race ride at Wagga in November 2013 before riding his first winner aboard Bet You She Rocks for Matt Laurie at Kyneton in March the following year. 

A fall at the Cranbourne trials the following October left Caserta sidelined for 18 months with a broken leg before he landed his maiden metropolitan win at Caulfield in April 2017. 

In late 2018 Caserta made the move to South Australia to ride for Tony McEvoy where he rode the majority of his metropolitan winners. 

Caserta made headlines when he got down to 44kg to ride then two-year-old Jedastar in the 2019 Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington before another serious fall at Sale the following August put him on the sidelines again before relocating to Queensland in December last year. 

Victorian Jockeys Association Chief Executive Matt Hyland said the jockey cohort in Victoria was saddened to learn of Caserta's death. 

"To lose such a gifted person and talented jockey in such sad circumstances at just 26 years old is extremely difficult to accept," Hyland said. 

"On behalf of the entire Victorian jockey group, we extend our deepest sympathies to Chris's family and friends."