NT Police force the Darwin racing community mourn the loss of jockey Melanie Tyndall

Tributes continue to flow for Darwin jockey and policewoman Melanie Tyndall, who died on Saturday after a racing accident at Fannie Bay.

Melanie Tyndall died after a fall at Fannie Bay Racecourse on Saturday

MELANIE Tyndall’s death after a fall at Fannie Bay Race Course on Saturday has left her family the Northern Territory police force, and her mates in the racing industry heartbroken.

Tyndall, a 32-year-old jockey and police constable, fell from her mount, Restless, when it clipped the heels of another horse at the 300m mark in race three, a preliminary stewards inquiry has found.

Darwin Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon yesterday paid tribute to a passionate jockey who returned to racing last year.

“She, by all accounts, was the first to the stables in the mornings and loved her horses,” Mr Dixon said.

Melanie Tyndall before the Katherine Cup last year.

Mr Dixon said Tyndall “obviously couldn’t stay away from the racing” after briefly walking away from the sport in 2017, when she joined the NT Police Force.

“We’re all affected in one way or another, some deal with it better than others, but it would be fair to say that there’s shock and disbelief right throughout the racing community.”

He said jockeys understood the risks involved in the sport and said no matter the safety precautions there was always a risk of accidents.

“While there’s that passion there, people are going to continue to race,” he said.

Acting police commissioner Michael Murphy said Tyndall’s family including father, Chris and partner Tony, were heartbroken.

“We have lost a beautiful young woman, tragically, way before her time,” he said.

Mr Murphy said Tyndall’s police colleagues were shaken by upon hearing of Saturday’s tragedy.

“She was a loving, caring and professional police officer who had a very bright future,” Mr Murphy said.

Tyndall had served in Katherine and Tenant Creek before being posted to Casuarina earlier this year.

Mr Murphy said the outpouring of grief from the policing and racing communities was a sign of how well respected Tyndall was.

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Australian Jockey’s Association chief executive Martin Talty said his association would offer all the support they it could to Tyndall’s family, friends and racing colleagues.

“Horseracing is such a large industry but it’s a very small community,” he said.

“It’s a sport that we all love but sometimes it can be so cruel, and we’ve seen that in the last 24 and 48 hours.”

Northern Territory Police Association president Paul McCue said: “We mourn the loss of one of our own, tragically taken today as a result of an incident while participating in a race at the Fannie Bay racecourse.”

“Our sincere condolences to her partner, family, friends and the many colleagues she had become close to during her time as a member of the NT Police Force.

“We stand side-by-side in support of those affected by this tragedy, and we think of Melanie and her family at this sad time.”