Senior jockey Peter Mertens and apprentice Jordan Childs were both taken to the local hospital after a horror fall in race seven at Hamilton today.

Peter Mertens, above, and Jordan Childs were taken to hospital after a horror fall at Hamilton. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Mertens was first to be dislodged when Leconi fell then Childs on Wantara crashed into the fallen horse with the young rider having a heavy tumble.

Racing Victoria stewards tweeted that both jockeys were conscious and were being transported to hospital to be treated for various injuries.

“Peter Mertens & Jordan Childs both transported to local hospital after Hamilton fall for observation & assessment. Both conscious,” the tweet read.

The Ricky Bruhn trained Wantara and Bill and Symon Wilde’s Leconi were both $6 chances in the betting with $18 outsider Clear Direction going on to win the race for Nikita McLean.

Samuel Hyland from TVN has also reported that Mertens was complaining of collarbone, chest and knee pains, while Childs was suffering from an arm injury and unfortunately both horses had to be euthanized due to their injuries.

While it will be a day to forget for Mertens who rode two seconds prior to his nasty tumble, luck was with Nikita McLean who booted home three winners on the day, and as well as scoring on Clear Direction, took out the third race on Must You Go for Terry and Karina O’Sullivan and the last race on the card on Emerald Jim for local trainer Allan Clark.