Thoroughbred Breeders’ WA conducted its AGM at Belmont Park on Saturday morning and among key outcomes was the election of Sue Olive and Helen Morton to the committee.

Olive and her husband Alan own Gold Front Thoroughbreds spread over 300 acres south of Gingin.  They developed the property into a thoroughbred complex shortly after selling Connector Drilling to Ausdrill founder Ron Sayers in 2011.

Gold Front made an auspicious start as vendors at the 2012 Perth Magic Millions when runner-up to Mungrup Stud.  And they went one better in 2014 when topping a select session of the Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Sue also holds a trainers’ license and prepared her first winner at last year’s Broome carnival.

The Olives bred and part-owned Flemington Group 1 winner Awesome Rock who stood his first season at Gold Front in 2017.

Helen Morton and her husband Allan own Queenslea Park in Pingelly and for many years have been vendors at the Perth Magic Millions.  They also bred Group 3 winning sprinter Dainty Tess.  The War Chant mare is trained by Allan’s nephew Dan Morton and, to date, has won 12 races and $930,150.

Helen graduated from WAIT with an Associate Diploma in Occupational Therapy.  Elected to the WA Legislative Council as Member for East Metropolitan Region in 2005, she was WA Minister for Mental Health, Disability Services and Child Protection during a parliamentary career that spanned 12 years.

Their daughter Lexie is the partner of Grant Burns who is stepping down from the TBWA committee.  Burns took over as President of Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia (FBAA) last November.

TBWA committee for 2018-19:  Brent Atwell, Phil Ibbotson, Sharon King, Troy van Heemst, Brian Collison, Ann Croucher, Fiona Lacey, Sue Olive, Helen Morton.

Elections for TBWA office-bearers will be held at the next committee meeting in September.