Year-long ban imposed on Grant and Alana Williams after Starry Heights’ ADHD drug positive

Leading Western Australian trainers Grant and Alana Williams have been disqualified for 12 months, in a ban stemming from the long-running Starry Heights case.

Racing WA stewards on Tuesday imposed the year-long penalty on the husband-and-wife trainers for presenting Starry Heights with the prohibited substance Ritalinic Acid in his system at last year’s Kalgoorlie Cup.

Ritalinic Acid is used to treat sufferers of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The positive test was discovered in a post-mortem sample taken from Starry Heights, who died as a result of catastrophic injuries which occurred on October 4 last year. They were initially stood down in January by stewards while the inquiry continued.

The Williamses, who pleaded guilty to the charge, will appeal the severity of the penalty, calling it “grossly excessive and disproportionate and does not properly reflect the circumstances surrounding this matter” in an email to owners.

The trainers were outed for 29 days before gaining a stay of proceedings, which allowed them to return to the races and win the 2025/26 Perth metropolitan premiership.

The 12-month ban will begin immediately, unless they are able to gain a stay of proceedings.

“We have instructed our legal counsel to immediately take the necessary steps to appeal this decision,” the trainers wrote.

“We will also be seeking a stay of the disqualification pending the determination of that appeal.”

The trainers will be eligible to reapply for their licences when their ban ends on August 29 next year, with stewards taking into account the 29 days the Williamses served earlier this year when they were stood down pending the outcome of the investigation.

In a media release, Racing WA stewards said they considered the Williamses’ guilty pleas, the substance detected, the rule’s intent to maintain the integrity of the racing industry, and previous penalties issued in other matters.

“Although submissions were made with respect to the detection of the substance being due to contamination, the stewards were not satisfied that there was sufficient basis upon which to accept those submissions,” stewards said. 

“Consequently, the inquiry was unable to establish an accepted explanation for the detection of the substance.”

Equal on the 2026/27 trainers’ premiership with 16 wins since August 1 and 15 in their past 50 runners, the Williamses have 99 named horses in their stable who will need to be transferred to new trainers.

The Williamses won last season’s Perth trainers’ premiership with 60 wins when rival Michael Grantham’s mare Western Miss was disqualified after a post-race positive swab following her July 8 Belmont victory.

It meant the Williamses initial runner-up, Conchetta’s Dream, was promoted to first, giving them a one-win margin over Grantham, who was fined for the offence.