While the pinnacle of Romantic Warrior’s career may be just a couple of days away, for Ben So Tik-hung, this is only the beginning.

In his first season as Danny Shum Chap-shing’s assistant trainer, the former jockey has been with Romantic Warrior every step of the way on his Australian adventure.

Fourth in the Group One Turnbull Stakes (2,000m) on October 7, Romantic Warrior will look to make history in Saturday’s Group One Cox Plate (2,040m), and So is feeding off the enormity of the task with which Shum has entrusted him.

“It’s a really huge experience for me. Normally, as an AT in your first season, you never have a chance to go overseas with a horse. I really appreciate Danny giving me a chance to bring a horse, and not just any horse – the most special horse, his most important horse,” said So, who came to Melbourne with Romantic Warrior and his travelling companion, Romantic Charm, in mid-September.

“It’s the first time I’ve travelled a horse, and I’m really gaining a lot of experience on this trip and learning a lot.”

While So admits he and the stable felt the pressure ahead of the Turnbull Stakes, the 36-year-old has settled into the campaign and will head to Moonee Valley on Saturday with quiet confidence.

Charm runs fourth at wintry Geelong, Warrior continues Cox Plate preparation

“We will try our best. I think from barrier seven – I’ve looked at the results and the records – since 2000, it has got three winners. I think we have got a chance. He can sit off the leaders and then get moving,” So said of Romantic Warrior’s potential approach to the Cox Plate under star Kiwi jockey James McDonald.

It was So who selected barrier seven for Romantic Warrior at Tuesday morning’s draw, with Shum embracing the opportunity to thrust his assistant into the spotlight, however briefly.

“He left Hong Kong on September 16, and the team have been doing a great job here. He deserved to have a chance to pick the barrier and let people recognise his face. I think it’s good for his CV and good for his career,” Shum said of So.

As it stands, So’s CV includes 153 Hong Kong wins in a riding career that ended in 2020 and three years as a work rider for David Hayes.

“He taught me how to get a horse organised for the races, how to have a connection with the owner and how to manage a stable. He taught me a lot,” So said of Hayes.

So has not looked back since hanging up his silks, and he knows exactly where he would like to end up.

“One day, hopefully in 10 years or so, I can be a full-time trainer – it will take at least 10 years in Hong Kong. But, at the moment, I have to try to be the best AT I can,” So said.

“I don’t really miss being a jockey. I thought I could still ride for three or four years, but I had to make the hard choice to get myself moving. I couldn’t stay as a jockey when my results weren’t that good. I had to make a move, and I’ve never thought about wanting to go back to being a jockey.

“It’s totally different being a trainer. Being a jockey, you can only take care of yourself, and you do your own thing – you work by yourself, and if you get the result, it’s your own thing. As an AT or a work rider, it’s for the stable – you want the stable to get good results and get as many winners as it can.”