Apprentice jockey Izzy Neale has died at the age of 22 after a fall during a race at Warren in New South Wales, Australia. She was hurt on Sunday when her horse broke down during a race, and she died on Tuesday evening, November 10, 2026, after two days on life support in hospital. Her family shared the news through Racing NSW, and tributes have come in from across Australian racing for a young rider who had already made her mark in the sport. Her death is the first racing fatality in New South Wales since April 2017.
Quick Facts
| Detail | What is known |
|---|---|
| Jockey | Izzy Neale, apprentice jockey, aged 22 |
| Date of death | Tuesday evening, November 10, 2026 |
| Place of the fall | Warren Racecourse, New South Wales, Australia |
| Race | Warren Shire Cotton Cup over 1600 metres, on Sunday |
| Horse | Marnoo, a six-year-old gelding trained by Kieren Hazelton |
| What happened | Marnoo suffered a catastrophic foreleg injury near the 400 metre mark and Neale was dislodged |
| Medical care | Treated by on-track paramedics, airlifted to Dubbo Hospital in a critical condition, placed on life support |
| Family statement | Released through Racing NSW on Tuesday evening |
| Other jockey hurt | Diego Montes de Oca, dislodged from Shadow Dane, suspected broken foot |
| Career record | 88 winners from 699 career starts |
| First city winner | July 4, 2026, on It’s A Tata at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney |
| Trainer | Apprenticed to Scone trainer Scott Singleton |
| Last racing fatality in New South Wales | Darren Jones, after a fall at Warialda in April 2017 |
What Happened at Warren on Sunday
The fall took place during the Warren Shire Cotton Cup, a race run over 1600 metres on the Sunday program at Warren. Izzy Neale was riding Marnoo, a six-year-old gelding trained by Kieren Hazelton. Near the 400 metre mark, Marnoo suffered a catastrophic foreleg injury. The horse went down, and Neale was thrown from the saddle.
She lost consciousness in the fall. On-track paramedics reached her at once and gave her immediate treatment on the course. The serious nature of her injuries was clear from the start, and she was airlifted to Dubbo Hospital in a critical condition. At the hospital she was placed on life support, and she stayed there through Monday and into Tuesday while her family and friends kept vigil by her side.
The race was stopped after the incident, and the rest of the meeting was called off. The seventh and final race on the Sunday program at Warren was abandoned. Racing officials, trainers and jockeys then looked at the days ahead, and the Monday meeting at Scone was postponed. After consultation with trainers and jockeys, that meeting was rescheduled to Wednesday. The decisions reflected the mood across the sport, and the focus turned at once to Neale and her family.
Marnoo and the Second Jockey Who Fell
Marnoo, the horse Neale was riding, did not survive the race. The six-year-old gelding suffered a catastrophic foreleg injury near the 400 metre mark, and he was euthanased after the fall. For the people who cared for him, the loss of the horse adds another layer of sadness to an already painful day. Horses and riders form close bonds, and a breakdown on the track is distressing for everyone who works with the animal, from the trainer to the stable staff who looked after him each day.
Neale was not the only rider to fall in the race. Fellow jockey Diego Montes de Oca was also dislodged from his horse, Shadow Dane, in the same race. He suffered a suspected broken foot. His injury, while serious, was of a different order to the one suffered by Neale, and the news of his fall was overshadowed by the grave condition of his fellow rider. Still, his name belongs in any honest account of the day, because two riders fell in the same race, and both needed medical care.
The Family Statement and Tributes From Racing
On Tuesday evening, Neale’s family released a statement through Racing NSW. It read: “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 words are simple, and they carry the weight of a family in grief. The statement also tells us something important about her final days. She was surrounded by her closest family and friends when she died, and they were with her through the time she spent on life support in Dubbo Hospital. For a family facing such news, the presence of loved ones at the end matters, and the statement makes clear that she was not alone.
Racing NSW shared the family statement, and the Australian Turf Club said it was deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Izzy Neale, aged just 22. The phrase “aged just 22” has appeared again and again in the tributes, because her age is part of what makes this loss so hard to take in. She was at the start of her career and her adult life, with her best years as a rider still ahead of her.
A Young Career Cut Short
Izzy Neale was apprenticed to Scone trainer Scott Singleton. An apprenticeship is how most young jockeys learn their trade in Australia. They work in a stable, ride trackwork in the mornings, learn from experienced riders, and take their first rides in races under the guidance of their master trainer. It is a demanding life, with early starts, long days and constant travel, and it takes dedication to stay with it. Neale did stay with it, and her record shows that she was making real progress.
She had ridden 88 winners from 699 career starts. That is a solid record for an apprentice, and it reflects a rider who was trusted by trainers and who was winning races on a regular basis. Every win matters to a young jockey, because each one builds confidence, earns more rides, and moves the rider closer to the day when the apprenticeship ends and the rider becomes a fully fledged jockey.
Her first city winner came on July 4, 2026, on It’s A Tata in the TAB Highway Handicap at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney. A first city winner is a milestone for any apprentice. Country wins are important, but a win at a metropolitan track like Rosehill, in front of a big crowd and against strong opposition, is a sign that a rider is ready for the next level. For Neale, that win on July 4 was a moment to remember, and it was a sign of the promise she carried into the rest of the year.
What This Means for Racing in New South Wales
Neale’s death is the first racing fatality in New South Wales since April 2017, when Darren Jones died after a fall at Warialda. Almost a decade had passed without a death on the track in the state, and that run of years is a reminder of how much work has gone into safety in racing. Helmets have improved, vests have improved, medical cover at tracks has improved, and the rules around riding have been tightened. Even so, the death of a rider shows that the risk can never be removed entirely. Horses are powerful animals, races are run at speed, and falls will always carry danger.
The sport will now go through the formal steps that follow a fatal fall. Officials will review the incident, look at the circumstances of the race, and consider whether any lessons can be learned. The family, the trainer, the other riders in the race and the people who were at Warren on Sunday will all have a part in that process, and their accounts will matter.
The Scone meeting will go ahead on Wednesday, and other meetings will follow. Riders will go back to the track, because that is what they do, and because the sport must continue.
Readers following the wider world of sport this week may also want to catch up on other major stories. The Puka Nacua injury update explains the latest on the star receiver, while the Cooper Flagg 43 point game covers a remarkable night for the young Mavericks star. Motorsport fans can also read about Norris winning in Sao Paulo and the constructors title that went with it.
FAQs
Who was Izzy Neale?
Izzy Neale was a 22-year-old apprentice jockey in New South Wales, Australia. She was apprenticed to Scone trainer Scott Singleton and had ridden 88 winners from 699 career starts. Her first city winner came on July 4, 2026, on It’s A Tata in the TAB Highway Handicap at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney.
What happened in the fall at Warren?
The fall happened during the Warren Shire Cotton Cup over 1600 metres on Sunday at Warren Racecourse. Her mount Marnoo, a six-year-old gelding trained by Kieren Hazelton, suffered a catastrophic foreleg injury near the 400 metre mark. Neale was dislodged, lost consciousness, and was airlifted to Dubbo Hospital in a critical condition. She was placed on life support and died on Tuesday evening, November 10, 2026.
What happened to the horse Marnoo?
Marnoo was euthanased after sustaining the catastrophic foreleg injury in the race. The six-year-old gelding was trained by Kieren Hazelton.
Was anyone else hurt in the same race?
Yes. Fellow jockey Diego Montes de Oca was also dislodged from his horse Shadow Dane in the same race and suffered a suspected broken foot. The seventh and final race on the Sunday program at Warren was abandoned after the incident, and the Monday meeting at Scone was postponed and rescheduled to Wednesday.
SOURCES
Final Thoughts
Izzy Neale was 22 years old, with 88 winners to her name and a first city win at Rosehill behind her. She had worked hard to earn her place as an apprentice jockey, and she was building a career that many people believed would go further. Her death after a fall at Warren is a loss that racing in New South Wales will feel for a long time, and it is the first racing fatality in the state since April 2017.
Her family’s words say it best. They announced her passing with deep sadness and broken hearts, and they made clear that she was surrounded by her closest family and friends at the end. Our thoughts are with them, with her trainer Scott Singleton and his stable, and with everyone in racing who knew her and rode beside her. She will be remembered as a young rider of promise, taken far too soon.
