Moonee Valley Racing Club recognised leading female trainer, for the 2012-2013 season, Gwenda Johnstone, at a presentation in the committee room last Saturday.

She prepared 15 winners during the season in Victoria, plus a few that didn’t count over the border in New South Wales.

It was appropriate the presentation was made at Moonee Valley, as she trained quite a number of horses for a former chairman of the Club, the late Bill Stutt.

Bill was a loyal supporter of the Johnstone stable, they had a great association racing numerous horses in the colours of cardinal, black sleeves and cap, bequeathed to the chairman by the late Leslie Aldridge of Kismet, Park the home of the great Manfred.

Gwenda, with the assistance of her husband, Michael, have around 15 in work at stables adjacent to the Echuca racecourse.

While training horses, there will always be the highs and the lows, you cannot escape them, you have to take them as they come.

The high was surely Shadoway when he won the Group 1 Goodwood Handicap at Morphettville, it doesn’t get much better than that.

As for the lows they will always be about, however, they were all erased when Gwenda received her well earned trophy.

Gwenda Johnstone - Leading Female Trainer