Our vision is to see science deliver positive change to the lives of Thoroughbreds during and after their careers in racing. We are aware that the public in Hong Kong and around the world share the same passion to enhance animal welfare and we are enthusiastic to see outcomes from the work that we support help to realise this ambition. Ultimately, we want to see new knowledge translated into real improvements to the lives of horses, such as the reduction of injuries and disease, promotion of racehorse safety during training and racing and improved quality of life for horses after they retire from racing. We also hope to help cultivate young talent and professionals pursuing equine welfare research and to share information with the public on horse health and welfare.

We expect that the research benefits will raise the overall standard of equine welfare in Hong Kong, Mainland China and elsewhere. We will also share the research outcomes and knowledge with our international industry peers and the public to benefit the racing and equine industry around the world. Therefore, we require that the findings of all studies that we fund be presented openly, published in academic media and disseminated to relevant stakeholders in the racing and equine industry and members of public. Furthermore, we plan to organise a conference every four years that will bring researchers, racing officials, trainers, horse owners and those involved with caring for retired racehorses together to explore how the latest research findings can be applied to best effect.

The Foundation received many excellent research proposals from around the world in response to its second call for applications in January 2022. We are delighted to announce offers of awards for six new projects have been confirmed and the overall research funding commitment of the Foundation for 19 projects reached HKD18.7 million. Findings from each project, which all focus on important welfare-related topics, will be shared widely and summaries will be published on this page upon completion of the projects.

New Projects

Mesenchymal stem cell licensing for improved tendon healing
Lauren Schnabel, North Carolina State University, US (Major Research Grant 2022: USD 129,616)
Project Summary
Risk assessment for condylar stress fracture in the racing thoroughbred
Peter Muir, University of Wisconsin-Madison, US (Major Research Grant 2022: USD 259,939)
Project Summary
Investigation of cell free DNA as a biomarker of NETosis in airway lavage samples from horses with neutrophilic asthma
Mary Sheats, North Carolina State University, US (Pump-prime Funding 2022: USD 38,507)
Project Summary
Looking on the brighter side of life – Characterising the expression of positive emotion in Thoroughbred horses
Hayley Randle, Charles Sturt University, Australia (Major Research Grant 2022: AUD 325,693)
Project Summary
Automatic behaviour recognition using wearable sensors for improving horse health and welfare
Kai Liu, City University of Hong Kong, HKSAR, China (Pump-prime Funding 2022: HKD 294,987)
Project Summary
Transforming Retraining: using multidisciplinary expert consensus to improve success rates in racehorses’ second careers
Jane Williams, Hartpury University, UK (Pump-prime Funding 2022: GBP 27,830)
Project Summary

Ongoing Projects

Relationship between Thoroughbred racing and training workloads and the fatigue life of equine subchondral bone
Chris Whitton, The University of Melbourne, Australia (Major Research Grant 2021: AUD 243,404)
Project Summary
Effect of surface and predominant direction of training and racing on movement symmetry and hoof shape in racing Thoroughbreds
Thilo Pfau, University of Calgary, Canada (Major Research Grant 2021: CAD 236,303)
Project Summary
Unravelling the genetic mechanisms underlying fracture risk in horses
Debbie Guest, The Royal Veterinary College, UK (Major Research Grant 2021: GBP 164,850)
Project Summary
Real-time risk prediction for Thoroughbred racing at The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Tim Parkin, University of Bristol, UK (Major Research Grant 2021: GBP 39,211)
Project Summary
Immunomodulatory effects of equine chondroprogenitor cells in an animal model of osteoarthritis
Laurie Goodrich, Colorado State University, US (Pump-prime Funding 2021: USD 37,935)
Project Summary
Investigation of equine fetlock joint immunopathology and the immunomodulatory effects of intra-articular therapeutics
Heidi Reesink, Cornell University, US (Research Training Scholarship 2021: USD 186,055)
Project Summary
Prediction and prophylaxis of EIPH during racing by on-board monitoring of horses during training – a pilot study
Emmanuelle Van Erck, Equine Sports Medicine Practice, Belgium (Small Research Project 2021: EUR 13,488)
Project Summary
The effects of short-term omeprazole on serum gastrin and chromogranin A, as markers of rebound gastric hyperacidity, in the horse
Benjamin Sykes, Massey University, New Zealand (Pump-prime Funding 2021: NZD 33,235)
Project Summary
Defining a transcriptomic signature for equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy
Richard Piercy, The Royal Veterinary College, UK (Research Training Scholarship 2021: GBP 169,393)
Project Summary
Applying novel multi-omic approaches to investigate the impact of training on airway immunity and molecular pathways underpinning MMEA and EIPH
Scott Pirie, The University of Edinburgh, UK (Major Research Grant 2021: GBP 181,243)
Project Summary
Mapping the equine cardiac channelome – elucidation of molecular targets of electrophysiological function in horses with and without cardiac rhythm abnormalities
Rebecca Lewis, University of Surrey, UK (Major Research Grant 2021: GBP 179,036)
Project Summary
The development and validation of novel behavioural assessment methods for equine welfare
Catherine Dwyer, The University of Edinburgh, UK (Pump-prime Funding 2021: GBP 24,627)
Project Summary
Equine influenza virus epigenetically imprints airway basal cells and alters chronically the airway epithelium repair potential
Caroline Chauche, The University of Edinburgh, UK (Pump-prime Funding 2021: GBP 27,582)
Project Summary