Johnstone was the guest of honour at a ceremony at Flemington racecourse, where it was revealed she would be the namesake of a race at the track’s annual Provincial and Country raceday.
The award recognises the significant contributions into the industry by a country racing trainer, and in a career spanning four decades, it’s safe to say Johnstone has done just that.
Johnstone has seen 324 race wins, including her famous Group 1 victory in 2008 with Shadoways in the Goodwood Handicap in Adelaide.
Johnstone stands as one of Echuca’s great sportspeople over the course of her career, but as someone who has preferred to carry out her work in the background, she said she was surprised to receive the accolade.
“I got so shocked I had to ask them if they had the right person,” Johnstone said.
“I’ll just keep training, the way I always have.
“I don’t think the award is going to change anything I do, or the way I do it.
“And yes, I guess they’ll want to drag me up to say a few words at Flemington tomorrow, which I will do, but I’ve always been happy to be in the background, I’ve always been a bit shy.
“The real challenge I face now, I guess trainers always face that, is to find the next really good horse.”
Starting as a 14-year-old casual stablehand at Joe Harrington’s Echuca stables, Johnstone was soon getting up before dawn to ride trackwork before heading to school. She had her owner/trainer licence at 20 and an open licence at 22.
A consistent winner, Johnstone really hit the headlines in 2008 when Shadoways hit the line in one of the great wins by a trainer from the region, although Johnstone wasn’t there to see it.
“Thank heavens for television,” she said.
“Shadoways was bred in Moama by Rob MacKenzie, and even though the horse last raced in 2011 and was officially retired in 2012, he still lives in a paddock back where it all started as a foal.
“I had him from the start. We raised him and got him ready to race as a two-year-old and he was such a good horse.”
