Last month’s Group One Cox Plate (2,040m) at Moonee Valley made an Australian celebrity of not only Romantic Warrior but also Toto Wong Ching-to, the Jockey Club commentator whose Cantonese call and post-race reaction went viral on social media.

In this week’s Tongue Tie Off, Wong reveals his Chinese namesake won one of Macau’s feature races, his childhood dream was to ride horses for a living rather than call them and his future ambition is to commentate on more Hong Kong triumphs overseas.

How did you get into racing?

My late father, Allan Wong Ying-pak, raced horses in Hong Kong and Macau. Nanning Treasure carried my dad’s colours to victory six times from 46 starts in Hong Kong, winning three from 29 for Ricky Yiu Poon-fai and two from 17 for Eddie Lo Kwok-chow. Too Too, whose Chinese name was the same as mine, won the Macau Group One Chairman’s Challenge Cup (1,800m) in 1994 under Toby Autridge.

The year my father passed away, I rejoined the Apprentice Jockeys’ School. The first time I joined was in 2006, but I rejoined in 2008. I didn’t want to become a jockey – I wanted to become a riding boy – but I was the tallest person in that year’s intake, so the principal, Amy Chan Lim-chee, suggested I study to become a farrier. But becoming a farrier wasn’t my dream. I wanted to ride horses.

So I switched, went back to university, coached some sports teams and thought about becoming a teacher. Then, in 2011, the Jockey Club ran a commentator competition. From that, I landed a job as one of its Cantonese-language racing specialists before, in 2013, joining its broadcast team.

Who’s your commentating mentor?

From the commentator competition to right now, it’s Simon Leung Ho-yin. He’s given me opportunities and encouraged me. We work together on the simulcasts, so he’s always giving me feedback about my calls.

You were a member of the Jockey Club’s broadcast team that covered Romantic Warrior’s Australian adventure. What was your reaction to his first-up fourth in the Group One Turnbull Stakes (2,000m)?

Romantic Warrior wasn’t 100 per cent fit for the Flemington race, which is what Danny Shum Chap-shing told everyone. The first time I went to Werribee, I looked at Romantic Warrior, and he was too quiet. I thought it may be because of his recent CAT scan. So, like Danny said, his Turnbull Stakes run wasn’t too good and wasn’t too bad.

When did you first think Romantic Warrior would win the Cox Plate?

It was at the barrier draw. I spoke with Danny’s assistant trainer, Ben So Tik-hung, at the function, and he asked me which gate I thought would be the best for Romantic Warrior. I searched through the statistics for the past 20 years, and I told Ben, ‘Not one and not 12, outside better than inside, and ideally, six, seven or eight’. Seven was perfect for him.

When I visited Werribee just before the Cox Plate, I saw Romantic Warrior inside his box at the stables. Unlike in the lead-up to the Turnbull Stakes, he looked ready to go. He had fire in his eyes. It was then I knew he had a big chance.

The video of your Cox Plate call and post-race reaction went viral on social media, with former Hong Kong commentator Darren Flindell describing it as ‘the best race-calling vision I’ve ever seen’. What do you remember about those couple of minutes?

The Cox Plate was only the second race I’d called live at a course rather than remotely off a screen. The Turnbull Stakes, three weeks earlier, had been the first. I was so emotional, calling a Hong Kong horse, knowing if Romantic Warrior won, it’d be one of the top five races in Hong Kong racing history. I wasn’t sure who’d won as the runners crossed the finish line. As soon as the result of the photo came through, I shouted, ‘Romantic Warrior got the Cox Plate!’. Once I was off air, I removed my headset and microphone, packed away my binoculars and tablet, and screamed, ‘Yes! Yes! Romantic Warrior!’ before heading down to ground level.

Romantic Warrior creates history with thrilling Cox Plate victory: ‘I love you all’

Hamish McLachlan and Ross Stevenson messaged me the day after the Cox Plate and invited me on their Australian television programme, That’s Racing. We spoke about Romantic Warrior and my broadcasting career. I’ve invited them to dim sum during their next visit to Hong Kong.

Finally, what are your future ambitions?

In the short term, calling more Hong Kong horses in overseas races. Maybe in Dubai. Maybe in Japan. It’d be great for me and my colleagues to cover more Hong Kong horses contesting overseas races.