(This appears smaller due to the automatic scaling in the ASC software.) I've left the PDF image selected to show it is a single object, and is not a text box (compare with the selection above).
That image was then saved, Inserted into the pages document, moved into place in front of the gradient (after the text box was moved away), and stertched laterally to the length of the gradient image. Screen shot of Preview window after copyinf the text box, opening Preview and pressing command-N (New from Clipboard). Screen shot again, this time just before pressing command-C to copy the selected text box. Here's a screen shot of the original text in its text box, with the colour gradient object behind it. The colour gradient behind the text is placed behind the inserted object, and shows through the transparent part of the image. Here are two screen shots of the result, one taken from my Pages default of 125%, the other with the view scale at 400% Instead of copying from Preview, Save the image as a PDR, then Insert that file into Pages, and if necessary, change it to a Floating object.
