Greg Cheyne took a crashing fall on Nebula when going for a gap between the pace-setting Milton and the rails about 130m out in the Calulo Shipping Cape Mile at Kenilworth on Saturday.

Slow motion pictures of the incident seem to suggest that the gap narrowed just as he went for it. The horse lost his balance, his hind legs went and he hit the rail while the jockey was fired out of the saddle. The stipes reported that they will open an inquiry into the incident.

The ambulance team took several careful minutes with Cheyne before loading him and it was later announced over the public address that he was conscious, sitting up and being taken to hospital for observation. He could not be contacted yesterday.

The race was won by Aldo Domeyer on the Vaughan Marshall-trained 7-1 chance Victorious Jay.

By Michael Clower