Melanie Tyndall death: Second Australian jockey dies in space of two days after falling off horse

Thirty-two-year-old was competing at Darwin Racecourse in Northern Territory when her horse was clipped and became unbalanced, causing her to fall off

(Darwin Turf Club)

Australian jockey Melanie Tyndall has become the second jockey to die in the space of two days after falling off her horse, aged 32.

The country’s horse racing community has been left reeling after a second death in as many days, following a similar tragic incident involving 22-year-old Mikaela Claridge on Friday morning.

Tyndall died after she fell during a race in Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory on Saturday, the Darwin Turf Club said in a statement on their website.

Tyndall had become unbalanced on her horse when it clipped the heels of another runner. She received immediate medical treatment on the track but died later in hospital.

"On behalf of the Northern Territory racing industry, I would like to extend our thoughts and heartfelt condolences to Melanie's family and friends on her passing," Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory Chief Executive Andrew O'Toole said in a statement.

Tyndall's death follows that of Claridge, who died after a fall while riding on sand trails early on Friday near Melbourne.

Claridge was riding on the sand trails at the training centre around 4:30am when she was dislodged from her saddle, according to a statement issued by Racing Victoria [RV], and she was attended to by the on-course paramedic.

In a statement, RV said: "It is with great sadness that Racing Victoria and the Victorian Jockeys Association [VJA] confirm the passing of 22-year-old apprentice jockey Mikaela Claridge as a result of injuries sustained in a trackwork accident at the Cranbourne Training Centre this morning.

"Mikaela was dislodged from her horse while riding on the sand trails on the southern side of the Training Centre at approximately 4.35am. She was attended to by the on-course paramedic but was tragically unable to be saved.

"WorkSafe, with the cooperation of the Cranbourne Turf Club, are investigating the circumstances of the accident."

Claridge had recently got married and was out riding with another jockey when both of their horses were spooked by something, though the reason for the incident remains unknown.

Melanie Tyndall died after falling off a horse during a race in Darwin, aged 32 (Darwin Turf Club)

“Both horses shied at the same thing, whatever that thing was, it could’ve been anything, you wouldn’t know,” trainer Ken Keys told the Herald Sun.

All remaining trackwork at Cranbourne Racecourse was cancelled as a result of the tragedy, and an eight-race meet at nearby Pakenham has also been called off.

Australian horse industry figures show 21 jockeys have been killed in the country since 2000, 18 of them during races and three during trackwork. In February, a Victoria state trainer died, also after falling from a horse during a training run.