Beau Mertens involved in Caulfield fall

Star young jockey Beau Mertens has been taken to hospital to be checked over after a fall in a race at Caulfield.

Mertens and his mount Orient Line came crashing to the turf in the straight in Sunday’s Matthew Davies Handicap (1600m), won by Widgee Turf.

Preliminary reports from the Victorian Jockeys Association are that Mertens is conscious and complaining mostly of a sore knee.

“He’s conscious and he’s complaining of a sore knee,” VJA chief executive Matt Hyland said.

“He’s pretty shaken up. We’ll see what the outcome is when they go right over him.

“He’ll be taken to hospital to be checked right out.”

Orient Line suffered catastrophic injuries and had to be euthanised.