Steeplechase racing this spring might feel like a rollercaster for rider Graham Watters. 

Two weeks ago at the Middleburg Races, Watters got tossed from his mount, less than thirty minutes after his fourth Temple Gwathmey (G2) win in the last five years aboard Snap Decision, the reigning steeplechase horse of the year. 

After the following race Watters was being transported by medevac and later walked out of the hospital with a broken arm, nose, cheek and a finger.

“The nose and all that is just cosmetic,” chuckles Watters.

Later in the week, Watters had a five-inch plate and four screws installed in his arm with aspirations of a quick return to riding.

“I woke up the next morning and had full movement in my wrist and hands and fingers,” reported Watters. “Good grip and good strength. Thursday morning, I was back riding.” 

Trainers laughed and said “not a chance” when Watters proposed returning to ride Snap Decision in the Iroquois (G1) May 10 in Nashville, three weeks after the fall. Now cleared by doctors and out of concussion protocol, Watters will be racing at the Virginia Gold Cup in the Plains this Saturday. 

“The main goal was Nashville with Snap Decision, but here are some really big races on offer at the Gold Cup, so I was feeling good. I thought that it would be bad to be sitting out another weekend,” said Watters, referring to the Foxfield Races run last week just outside Charlottesville. 

“It’s the third time I’ve broken this same arm,” said Watters, who also broke it five years ago. “It’s feeling good, it’s feeling strong. So, I can’t complain about pain. It’s stronger now with the plate in it than it’s ever been.” 

Just as Snap Decision won his fourth Temple Gwathney in five years, Watters will be looking to win his fourth Iroquois Hurdle in five years on May 10 at Percy Warner Park in Tennessee. 

At Middleburg the eleven-year-old ceded 18 pounds to Abaan, who was charging after him at the wire, and 20 pounds to third place finisher Who’s Counting.

“He’s an absolute once-in-a-lifetime horse,” exclaimed Watters. “He won really well at Middleburg giving away a lot of weight.”

Watters anticipates the upcoming Iroquois to be a landmark race in American steeplechase history.

“Looks to be one of the hardest Grade 1s ever to be run in North America,” the rider said.

Before the Iroquois, though, Watters has some work to do this week. He’ll be aboard Awakened in the $150,000 Commonwealth Cup (G1) and Keys Discount in the $100,000 Virginia Gold Cup.

“Hopefully its two weekends of racing that I’ll remember forever,” Watters said.

Both combatants are trained by Jack Fisher. Keys Discount won the Middleburg Hunt Cup earlier on the card before Snap Decision’s win in the Temple Gwathmey, “his biggest win so far,” his rider said. 

Steeplechase horses are trained like flat runners, except that jumping exercises are phased in as well, Watters said. Like humans, self-confidence counts for a lot.

“Once horses know how to jump, they’ll always do it,” explains Watters. “Once they get the confidence to do it, they never lose it again. I’m going to be riding them to be in the first three and then see what happens at the back of the third or fourth last jump.”

Awakened is sired by Curlin for Riverdee Stable and Ten Strike Racing. The Commonwealth Cup that goes two and a half miles drew nine entries all with at least four career wins including favored Too Friendly, Who’s Counting and Welshman.

In the Virginia Gold Cup, seven entered the marathon going over timber. 

“It’s a hard jumping course, it’s fast” observed Watters. “Four miles is a long way, a lot of jumping.”

The Virginia Cup field includes Bogey’s Image, winner of the My Lady’s Manor Stakes in Monkton, Maryland on April 12, as well as Wrestlingwithrae, the winner of Grand National Timber on April 19 in Butler, Maryland, and runner-up in the My Lady’s Manor. 

NICK’S PICKS FOR VIRGINIA GOLD CUP DAY

Race 1 #6 Risk Taking, #3 The Wizards Well, #1 Silly Lily

Race 2 #1 Fashion Line, #2 Mortlach, #6 Macheeda

Race 3 #7 Bee Well, #2 Minella Juke, #10 Palio

Race 4 #3 Who’s Counting, #5 Belfast Banter, #9 Too Friendly

Race 5 #5 Bogey’s Image, #4 Keys Discount, #7 Wrestlingwithrae

Race 6 #2 Mission North, #1 St James the Great, #4 Super Chunk

Race 7 #7 Fouroneohsmokeshow, #6 Love Foreverafter, 2 Forever Hopeful