Railway winner Watch Me Rock transferred to Donna Riordan

Two of Grant and Alana Williams’ Pinnacles carnival stars, Group 1 winner Watch Me Rock and Storyville, have changed stables while the prominent Perth trainers to prepare to front an inquiry into a positive swab.

The husband-and-wife trainers were stood down on Tuesday by Racing WA integrity officials pending the outcome of an inquiry into the prohibited substance Ritalinic Acid was detected during a post-mortem blood sample of their racehorse Starry Heights, who broke down and was subsequently euthanised after the running of last October’s Kalgoorlie Cup.

Ritalin is used to treat people who suffer from Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

As a result of having their trainers’ licence suspended, the Williams’s Railway Stakes winner Watch Me Rock, who also finished runner-up in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes, and Group-winning mare Storyville have been transferred to rival trainer Donna Riordan.

The Williamses, who will face stewards on Tuesday, said in a statement that they were “extremely surprised and concerned” by the drug irregularity.

“At no stage have we knowingly administered, or authorised the administration of, any prohibited substance to Starry Heights,” they said.

“We have no explanation at this time as to how this substance could have entered the horse’s system.”