He’s Training AI to Outsmart 200 years of Racing Tradition

In this conversation, I sat down with Alex So to explore how he's bringing cutting-edge technology to the world of horse racing. He shared how his journey from finance to Cambridge led him to build AI tools that improve racehorse welfare and performance. I asked him about the challenges of modernizing a centuries-old industry, the role of mentorship, and the future of data-driven racing in Hong Kong.

Here’s what he had to say. 🐴🤖

Yeah, I get that a lot! Growing up, I actually wanted to be a Forex trader—my dad and his friends were all in finance, and that world really shaped my early goals. But after finishing my degree and working in the field, I got accepted to Cambridge to study entrepreneurship. That’s when things really shifted. I saw an opportunity to do something different, something meaningful—and that turned out to be horse racing.

It's huge in Hong Kong. It’s not just a sport—it’s part of the cultural fabric. People listen to racing news on the radio, gather at off-course betting branches, and follow races religiously every Wednesday and Sunday. The Hong Kong Jockey Club is the city’s largest charity. It reinvests profits into education, health, and infrastructure. But despite all that significance, the sport hasn’t really embraced technology—and that’s where I saw a gap.

I chose the ever-popular Winston’s at Tai Hang for the interview, alive even at this hour with Xiahongshu-inspired tourists. I got a latte whilst Alex ordered his cappuccino on a lively and bustling morning; the air was slightly heavy, moving from spring to summer, with slivers of sunshine heating up the far corner of our outdoor patio table. Over the vibrant coming and going of morning patrons before their brisk walk to the office, Alex and I discussed horses, heritage, and heuristics.

Together with Professors Tak-Wah Lam and Loretta Choi at the University of Hong Kong, we launched the Equine Analytics and Bioinformatics Lab. We’re using AI, computer vision, biomechanics, and even DNA mapping to better understand racehorses and how they perform. Our mission is to bring scientific rigor to a sport that has relied mostly on instinct for centuries.

Horse welfare is a big part of it. For example, one of our goals is to identify horses at high risk of injury before they’re imported into Hong Kong. If we can spot those issues early, those horses can be placed in more suitable environments abroad, avoiding potential harm. But it’s also about improving training, understanding performance on different track surfaces, and ultimately helping trainers make better decisions.

Surprisingly open and enthusiastic. We’ve received support from across the world—Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Argentina. And it’s not just researchers; groomers, breeders, and trainers have been excited about what we’re doing. Seeing their reaction when we present our progress—it reminds me why we’re doing this.

No, this is much more than that. “Save horses, inspire minds”—that’s our mindset. This is about making racing safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Improving horse welfare isn’t just good for the sport—it helps the whole community, especially in a place like Hong Kong where the Hong Kong Jockey Club plays such a vital role.