A crowd gathered at the Warren Shire Cotton Cup on Sunday for the 1,600‑metre race at Warren Racecourse in New South Wales. The event turned tragic when two jockeys fell during the competition. Izzy Neale, a 22‑year‑old apprentice jockey, was riding the horse Marnoo when the animal suffered a front‑leg injury. Neale fell from the saddle, became unconscious and sustained serious head injuries. Her riding partner, Diego Montes de Oca, also fell from his horse. Both riders received emergency treatment on the track before being airlifted to Dubbo Hospital, located near the racecourse. Montes de Oca’s injuries were described as minor, and he is expected to recover fully. Neale remained in critical condition for two days, was on a ventilator, and later died. Her horse was euthanised after the fatal leg injury. Neale’s family confirmed the death in a statement posted on Racing NSW’s social media account, the governing body for thoroughbred racing in New South Wales. The statement read: > “With deep sadness and a broken heart we announce the passing of our dear Izzy. She passed surrounded by her family and close friends. Thanks to organ donation, Izzy will give others the chance to live, bringing some comfort to the family in the midst of this devastating loss. Izzy rode before she could walk. Her love for horses was a lifelong passion that recently turned into a passion for racing.” Neale had been a successful apprentice, winning her first race in February 2024 and accumulating 88 victories in official competitions. In July 2026 she won the “It’s A Tata” race at Rosehill, the state’s premier racecourse. Trainer John Thompson, who had worked with Neale at Randwick, expressed his shock and sorrow on the social‑media platform X: > “A bright shining light. Always happy. Always smiling. Loved by all who knew her. The world is a poorer place without a young woman so beautiful. It is heartbreaking.” The death of Neale is the first jockey fatality in the region since Darren Jones, who died in 2017 after a fall from three horses at Warialda. The Warren Cup was cancelled in the wake of the tragedy, and a meeting scheduled for Monday in Scone was also suspended. Australian racing authorities and the broader community will pay tribute to Neale throughout the week, following the recent success of the Melbourne Cup.
Article source: Clarin Digital | Image credit: Clarin Digital