Cover image courtesy of Sleip
New South Wales trainers are querying the implementation of new requirements in their 2026/27 licensing applications that will make the use of equine gait analysis app Sleip compulsory in the state. The new rule comes after Racing NSW walked back mandatory use of the app at the beginning of June, pending an industry trial of the product.
Racing NSW promises app trial
It was first reported on May 25 that New South Wales’ regulator was seeking to roll out mandatory use of Sleip, which uses AI technology to identify gait asymmetry, to all trainers in the state, which would see a video of every horse in training uploaded to the app on a weekly basis.
The announcement faced backlash from trainers, who questioned how the technology’s findings were going to be used, how secure their data would be, and how they would cope with the additional labour and cost of the app. At the time, answers for most of their concerns were not forthcoming.
Following a mass walkout at a trainer’s meeting on June 1, Racing NSW reneged on their decision to implement the app on July 1, and announced to trainers that they would instead conduct a trial of the technology with select stables in the state.
Richard Callander | Image courtesy of Racing NSW
“(Racing NSW will) approach certain stables about doing a trial period and then collect the data after that and work it out from there,” NSW Trainers’ Association President Richard Callander told thestraight.com.au at the time of the announcement.
“Whether it becomes the tool that they think it’s going to be (time will tell). At the moment, there were too many questions unanswered.”
“Whether it becomes the tool that they think it’s going to be (time will tell). At the moment, there were too many questions unanswered.” - Richard Callander
It was unclear at the time as to who would foot the bill for the app, which has a monthly subscription and an additional fee per extra device it is on, during the trial. No further information has been released to the public over June about the trial. Questions were put to Racing NSW on if the trial had taken place; there has been no response at the time of writing.
New year, new requirements
Trainers are required to renew their licences at the beginning of July each year, and trainers have noticed a change in documents for the 2026/27 renewal stating “Racing NSW is introducing a compulsory requirement for Trainers use of the equine gait analysis technology Sleip. Further information in regard to the required processes will be provided when available”.
In a letter to the Racing NSW board, shared with TTR, a concerned trainer outlines questions about what the implications could be for trainers renewing their licenses this season.
The letter highlighted the lack of clarity around the scope of the app’s use, what the expectations will be for trainers, and whether there will be training and financial support provided by Racing NSW in relation to the app.
Sleip App | Image courtesy of Sleip
A consistent sticking point for trainers has been the app’s cost and operational requirements. While the NSWTA announced that Racing NSW had secured a discounted rate for the app’s subscription, who pays is still unclear, while the app still only works on Apple technology. Concerns have been raised in the past about trainers operating in rural areas without consistent internet access, and about the additional expense in upgrading technology.
The letter also raised concerns about how the app’s data will be used, stored, and protected. It asked if the app’s assessments would be used to determine acceptances, scratching decisions, or in a regulatory capacity, and what could trigger an examination by a Racing NSW veterinarian, or whether an independent veterinarian could challenge the app’s findings.
“No trainer is opposed to genuine welfare initiatives,” the letter read, emphasising that the author takes issue with the lack of information around the app’s use as opposed to the app itself.
It outlined the additional pressure the requirement would place on particularly older trainers and trainers with very small teams: “Trainers are the frontline providers of horse welfare and have a vested interest in maintaining high standards of horse care.”
The letter also noted that the Sleip app had first been mentioned in Racing NSW’s 2023 CEO Report, but that there had been no consultation with the industry in the three years since the report’s publication.
“Use of Sleip will enable the Racing NSW veterinary team to gain a deeper understanding of a horse’s specific movements, its response to any changes in work patterns and its environment, and, ultimately, its suitability to race,” the 2023 report detailed. “In time, Racing NSW hopes to expand the use of Sleip to its routine pre- and post-race veterinary assessments and to evaluate horses returning to training and racing after an illness or injury.”
Questions were put to the NSW Trainer's Association on the inclusion of the app in the licence renewal applications, and the NSWTA has advised they will be in a place to comment on Monday.
The version of the trainer’s licence renewal application currently on the Racing NSW website is for the 2025/26 season.
