Helen Page, who represented Australia in equestrian before taking on training in 1980, went close to fulfilling her dream of winning a Melbourne Cup when Magnolia Hall finished third to Let's Elope in 1991. Page trained successful for a number of years from Warwick Farm in Sydney before meeting husband John, who also was a successful trainer and a neighbour of the late Tommy Smith at Randwick. The
pair came to Queensland and settled on the Gold Coast 12 years ago and has not looked back since. Winning the Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill in 2004 with Doonan sits as Page's biggest victory but she ranks the experience with Magnolia Hall who collected a $200,000 prizemoney cheque in the Melbourne Cup as a greater achievement. Page's career as a trainer began after she got tired of travelling the dressage and show circuits around the country. "I was a teacher at Gunnedah and I rode at all the shows and did dressage around the country," she said. "I was at Warwick Farm one day and I decided to give training a go while I was still teaching. "I had an old dressage horse called Paris Royle and he won my first race and was ridden by Neil Williams in a Wyong maiden." Helen in 2012 won her first Bundaberg Rum Gold Coast trainers’ premiership with 24 winners, ending John Morrisey’s three-season title run. Helen's acceptance speech was one of the highlights of the evening as she called up her stable staff to join her on stage.
“You can’t win a premiership without great staff like I have,’’ she said.
