Jason Watson

Jason Watson (born May 2000) is a Group 1-winning British jockey who was Champion Apprentice in 2018. Watson was born in Brighton, to a postman father. He started riding at a riding school in Lewes at age 6, under the tutelage of ex-jump jockey Ray Goldstein. He left school at 13 to be home-schooled. His first ride was on Breakheart, trained by Gary Moore, at Kempton in February 2017. He came second. His first win came on Many Dreams, again for Moore, at Salisbury in May, his fourth ride. In total in 2017 he rode two winners from 41 rides. In August 2018, he won his first major race, the Stewards' Cup at Goodwood on the Hugo Palmer trained Gifted Master, and began to be noticed for the number of competitive handicaps he was winning at major courses. His main source of winners was Andrew Balding, but he rode for at least 55 different yards. He was coached by former Derby winning jockey John Reid.