Jason Watson was six when he got the bug for riding a horse.

His parents took him to Hamsey Riding School near their home in Lewes and he loved it.

That was 13 years ago. Now he is one of the hottest youngsters in the sport, reigning champion apprentice and eyeing the senior crown in the next couple of years.

The Brighton-born jockey could offer another glimpse of what he can do on the big Ascot card today with three runners at QIPCO British Champions Day.

That would be some way to complete a season which looked to have been, if not wrecked, then significantly hindered by a nasty neck and back injury at the very start of the year.

Watson is on a high. He celebrated a double and his first ever Group One win on Quadrilateral in the bet365 Fillies Mile and Emirates Cesarewitch Stakes aboard Tony Bloom’s Stratum at Newmarket last Saturday.

It is quite a story developing – with plenty more to come and a strong Sussex background.

He told The Argus: “I was born in Brighton. I lived in Lewes for most of my childhood but always had family in Brighton and Eastbourne and Shoreham and Seaford, places down that way.

“I suppose I regard myself as being a Brighton boy.

“I worked for Gary Moore, who was based in Brighton and is now in Horsham.

“I used to go up and ride at Brighton and learnt a lot about how to ride the track and had a very successful season there last year.

“I think I had about 21 winners at Brighton, just shy of the record there.

“My dad is a postman and my mum is a driving instructor so I haven’t really got any family background of working in racing.

“My parents learnt to ride at Hamsey and one day, when I was about six years old, they asked whether we wanted to go down and sit on a pony and see what we thought.

“I kind of fell in love with it there and then.

“I was always quite a sporty kid “I played football a lot for Lewes Bridge View but I was more interested in horses, going after school and riding out at Hamsey.

“Ray Goldstein taught me a lot there and I wouldn’t be here without him, for sure.”

Th rest is becoming history. The latest big day comes this afternoon, with three rides at Ascot including Bloom’s Withhold.

But what about the future stretching ahead of him?

Watson said: “I want to ride more winners, more bigger winners, but that’s every jockey, not just me.

“And obviously champion jockey somewhere along the line.

“This season is not quite over so let’s see how we come out of the winter and it could be a possibility over the next year or two.”

That would be some tale, not least after Watson fractured three vertebrae in his neck and one in his back in a fall at Kempton Park on January 4, a date he still remembers without prompting.

He said: “I hadn’t long got back off holiday and found out about my new job with Mr (Roger) Charlton.

“I was very lucky, to be honest “Anything with the back is quite worrying.

“After such a big year last year, I had to prove I was still in with the top boys “People expect so much of you but my biggest person to impress is probably myself. That drives me to do better.

“I have been very lucky to have the support of the owners and trainers.

“I think if people know you are more than capable of getting the job done, they will use you.”

Watson knows he has more than done that - with three chances to shine today and big things to look forward to.