Jason Watson on Jockeys: The Podcast - "I needed to grow up”

The Brighton-born rider joined Charlton after picking up the apprentice title in 2018, but tensions arose following his ride on the yard’s Quadrilateral, who was sent off the 11-4 favourite for the 2020 1,000 Guineas. The Juddmonte-owned filly had actually given Watson his breakthrough Group One win in the previous autumn’s Fillies’ Mile, but could only finish third on her return at HQ. 

Speaking to host Adam McNamara – who was at Charlton’s Beckhampton Stable when Watson became number one jockey - on the latest Jockeys: The Podcast, Watson revealed: “It just didn't go to plan. There were a few things that happened - I don't think many people were aware of - but from that day on, it just meant it was quite tricky. 

"The relationship changed quite dramatically and I always felt like I was under pressure then for the rest of the season. 

"It shocked me really, it really did. I thought the [good] year that we had had done enough to seal in a good couple of seasons. I just never expected the relationship to take a turn like it did. 

“I didn’t really get on with a few people in the yard, which also doesn't help, but I felt like all the support I'd had had just fallen away from me.” 

Watson, however, believes that there was blame on both sides. 

“I thought that I needed to grow up more than anything, you know, I did need to grow up. I was probably just very used to things going well, so if I went a day or two without a win, I was not happy. 

"It did feel like the end of the world for me. I had a few other personal things going on and  felt like I lost quite a lot of support quite quickly from people that I trusted and had built a good relationship with. 

“And it definitely felt like the sort of rug had been snatched from underneath my feet and it was hard to deal with. I think it affected me for a good season and I felt very alone.  

“But I knew I wasn't probably riding to the best of my ability at that point. 

“And in the end, you have two choices. You either let it ruin your career or you just squash it down and get on with it. And that's what I chose to do.” 

The 26-year-old rider also recalled how an incident involving McNamara on the racetrack led to a fight with Stevie Donohoe back in the weighing room. 

McNamara was under orders to set a nice even gallop, but found himself taken on and suddenly "20 lengths clear" after setting too strong a pace. 

“Obviously, I'm on catch up,” remembered Watson. “But me and Stevie [Donohoe] were having a bit of an argument, he didn't want me to go around him. And things got a little bit heated on the way round, bit of effing and blinding, all sorts. 

“And I was probably looked upon as being a bit chippy. So he said, ‘right, when we get in that weighing room we're going to sort it out’. So, so we did and I got poleaxed! 

“But I did go in for round two, just in case. I just wanted to make sure!” 

The story hasn’t been told publicly before, but was a subject of mirth in racing circles at the time, something that Watson just puts down to the competitive nature of the sport. 

He said: “The problem is, Stevie can be quite hot headed. I'm hot headed. So it's like two terriers at each other, well, more like a terrier on a rat. And I was a rat. 

“But it happens. Stevie's a good mate of mine, still is. He actually called me on the way home that night and we had a talk and it was fine. 

"The next day I saw Ralph Beckett and he even said to me, 'I heard about your antics last night. Did you win?’ And I said, ‘no, I didn't!’

"But I had a treble the next day, and [Roger] Charlton sent me a message saying ‘it looks like a good hiding doesn't do you any harm’ with a strong arm emoji. So he loved it, really!”