Page holds on to win trainers' title

HELEN Page held off reigning titleholder John Morrisey at today’s final meeting of the season to win her first Gold Coast trainers’ premiership.
With a betting-only meeting scheduled next Saturday, today’s meeting was the finale for racing at the Gold Coast for the 2011-12 season.
Page and Morrisey have had a torrid battle for much of the season with Page going into today’s meeting leading 23 winners to 22 winners.
But Morrisey threw down the gauntlet early on today’s program and drew level when he saddled-up Hush Power ($12) to win in the Glenzeil Estimating Team Maiden Hcp (1400m).
Then Page hit back a few races later with $3.50 favourite Seiyo (pictured) to go one up again and that was how the battle finished.
Page is only the second woman to win the Gold Coast trainers’ premiership, following in the footsteps of Gillian Heinrich who took the title in 2006-7 with a record-equalling 44 winners.
The Gold Coast jockey and apprentice premierships were clear-cut going into today’s meeting with Dan Griffin and Tegan Harrison both enjoying commanding leads.
Griffin has wrapped up a record sixth consecutive jockeys’ title with 49 winnners, 17 clear of nearest rival Dale Missen.
Harrison has become the first woman to win the apprentices’ title, finishing with 29.5 winnners, 14 clear of Priscilla Schmidt.
The final top six positions in the Gold Coast premierships were:
Jockeys: Dan Griffin 49, Dale Missen 32, Tegan Harrison 29.5, Chris Whiteley 21, Tony Pattillo 20, Terry Treichel 20.
Trainers: Helen Page 24, John Morrisey 23, Bruce Hill 16, Bryan Guy 13, David Kelly 13, Matthew Dunn 13.
Apprentices: Tegan Harrison 29.5, Priscilla Schmidt 15.5, Patrick Keane 12, Kirk Matheson 7, Tim Bell 5, Jason Letherby 5.
Story: Neil Archer
Photo: Trackside Photography Pty Ltd