Mrs Clancy passed away on Thursday, aged 73, after a long illness.

She was a tireless worker for the Leeton Jockey Club, secretary for more than 20 years and is the wife of trainer Peter Clancy.

While her contribution to the Leeton Jockey Club was enormous, perhaps her biggest racing achievement was helping launch the careers of several apprentice jockeys alongside her husband.

Brad and Tim Clark, John Kissick, Nick Heywood, Shelley Walsh and Kristen Smart were just some of the jockeys to do their apprenticeships with the Clancys.

Recently retired jockey Brad Clark spent five years at Leeton with the Clancys and said he will never forget the impact Nerrida had on his life.

“She was pretty much like a second mother to me,” Brad said.

“You would go there as an apprentice and live on the farm, just five or 10 metres from their house. She’s one reason why I ended up staying there for so long. It was like a second family.

“You wouldn’t meet two more beautiful people. It’s extremely sad.”

Tim Clark has gone on to become one of Australia’s leading jockeys. He said Mrs Clancy will be dearly missed.

“Peter and Nerrida took Brad and I in, all the apprentices before and after, and treated us like family. She treated us like her own,” Tim said.

“She was a wonderful woman, very caring and did all she could to look after the apprentices. She was incredibly tough and resilient as well. She hadn’t been well for a while but you wouldn’t know because she would never say a thing.

“She was a second mother to Brad and I.”

Leeton Jockey Club president Grant Fitzsimmon said the club would not be around today if it wasn’t for Peter and Nerrida Clancy.

“It’s enormous the amount of work the Clancy family has done and probably without that family, racing wouldn’t be in Leeton today,” Fitzsimmon said.

“Without them, the Leeton Jockey Club wouldn’t have survived.

“It’s a very sad time for Riverina racing, Leeton Jockey Club and the town.”

Southern District chief steward John Davidson said it was a sad time for racing.

"Nerrida was an amazing woman. Peter Clancy is well-known as a champion mentor of apprentices having had the likes of Tim & Brad Clark, Nick Heywood, Kristen Smart and John Kissick go through the ranks,” Davidson said.

"But Peter often said it was Nerrida that was the backbone of the Clancy family environment that so welcomed these apprentices. She will be missed terribly."

Mrs Clancy is survived by husband Peter, and children Tracey, Tanya, Robert and Greg.

A funeral service will be held at 11am on Wednesday, January 24, at the Anglican Church in Leeton.