Australian apprentice jockey Izzy Neale, who was critically injured in a racing accident Sunday in New South Wales, has died at age 22, her family announced Tuesday.
“It is with deep sadness and broken hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Izzy, surrounded by her closest family and friends,” the family said in a statement released by Racing New South Wales. “Izzy rode horses before she could walk. Her love of horses was a lifelong passion that, more recently, had grown into a love of racing.
“Through organ donation, Izzy will give others the chance of life, bringing some comfort to our family amid this devastating loss.”
Neale, an accomplished apprentice with 88 wins from 699 starts, fell after her mount, Marnoo, suffered a catastrophic foreleg injury while competing at Warren Racecourse, about 300 miles northwest of Sydney. Neale was airlifted to Dubbo Hospital, about 65 miles away. Marnoo was euthanized, according to reports.
A second jockey, Diego Montes de Oca, was also dislodged from his mount and reportedly suffered soft tissue injuries in a lower leg.
Neale grew up around horses and began riding at an early age, first with stock and Quarter Horses, and competed in barrel racing. She left school at 16 to work in the horse industry and began at Thoroughbred stud farms, doing yearling prep before getting a chance to ride young horses in their early training. Neale gravitated to the racetrack, winning with her first mount at the country track Condobolin as a 19-year-old. Her biggest win came at Rosehill Gardens in July 2026 aboard It’s a Tata in the TAB Highway Handicap.
In their statement, Neale’s family expressed gratitude for the support they had received from the racing community, Racing NSW, the NSW Jockeys Association and the medical staff who cared for her.
“We are deeply grateful for the love, kindness and support shown to Izzy and our family by her friends, the racing community and everyone who has been by our side during this heartbreaking time,” the family said. “As we come to terms with our loss, we ask that our family’s privacy be respected.
“Izzy was dearly loved and will forever be in our hearts.”
