Australian apprentice jockey Izzy Neale dies at 22 after race fall
The gist
Australian apprentice jockey Izzy Neale, 22, died after a fall at Warren racecourse in New South Wales.
Her death is the state's first racing fatality since 2017, prompting a meeting postponement.
How it unfolded
- Feb 2024Neale earned her first picnic win, steering Scruff's Magic to victory at Condobolin.
- Jul 4, 2026She celebrated her first metropolitan winner with It's A Tata in the TAB Highway Handicap at Rosehill Gardens outside Sydney.
- Nov 8, 2026Neale fell from her horse Marnoo around the 400m mark of the one-mile (1,600m) Warren Shire Cotton Cup at Warren, New South Wales, suffering head injuries; she was airlifted to Dubbo Hospital in critical condition. Marnoo was euthanized after a near foreleg injury, and the final race of the program was abandoned.
Key terms
- apprentice jockey
- A professional horse rider in racing, typically light and fit, who competes for trainers and earns a share of winnings.
- picnic racing
- Amateur thoroughbred horse racing meetings, mainly in Australia, run by amateur clubs with amateur riders and hobby-trained horses.
- Racing NSW
- A statutory body that controls, supervises and regulates thoroughbred horse racing in New South Wales, Australia.
Source: Wikipedia