By Duane Ranger (Courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Jenny Anderson’s lifetime infatuation with grey standardbreds brought her more joy at Redcliffe Paceway last Thursday evening.
The 68-year-old Redcliffe horsewoman, who lives on nearby Knight Street, trained Lesvos Lad to win the opening event.
It was Anderson’s first training success of the season and first since Keith Durston drove Illawong Lively to score at Redcliffe on January 31, 2018.
“I’m a hobby trainer, who has been around horses all my life. I love them, especially grey standardbreds. I’ve always loved them and I love this wee guy.
“I call him ‘George’ and he’s so adorable. He’s my only horse in work. I bought him in August last year from Victoria. He was trained and driven by Peter Chamouras down there. My mother (Dawn May) said I needed to get another horse. He was new project. My therapy,” Anderson said.
By ‘therapy’ Anderson said she was devastated with the loss of her un-named 2019 Gotta Go Cullect grey filly.
“She was killed in an accident, and had to be euthanized. I still haven’t really got over it. She was beautiful, and it broke my heart. I lost all desire to breed after that. If it wasn’t for Mum, I wouldn’t have bought Lesvos Lad,” Anderson said.
After a lifetime of being around horses with her family and extended family, Anderson decided to venture into standardbred breeding in late 2015 – some 32 years after first getting her trainer’s licence.
“I only ventured into breeding because of my love for grey horses. I bought a grey Lombo Pocket Watch filly named Lombo Happy Hour. I trained her to her only at Redcliffe in 2015 (February 5). Later that year I put her to Lanercost.
“The mare also left a Hurrikane Kingcole gelding, who won two races, and the third foal, we lost. It hit me pretty hard. That’s when I gave up breeding and gave the mare away to Karen Turpin, who now has a (black) Ohoka Punter filly from her,” Anderson said.
But Anderson, who is a catering manager at a Brisbane Aged Care facility, said horses were in her blood, and on the advice of her mother she went looking for another “beloved” grey pacer.
“I needed something to occupy my mind, so I went searching for a horse and got on the phone quick when I found one, because grey horses don’t usually remain unsold for too long.
“The previous owner told me ‘George’ (Lesvos Lad) needed a chance and should go well considering he was lightly worked and raced.
“His son, who was named George, treated him as a pet and was only really worked at home. I named him after George because he cared for him so well. He absolutely loved him. He raced twice in Victoria (eighth and 10th) before I brought him up here,” Anderson said.
“I like the fact that although he’s six, he’s only had nine starts now, and still has plenty of miles left on the clock,” she added.
Anderson paid a big tribute to her driver, Mathew Neilson, who got Lesvos Lad up in the last stride to win the Dan Costello Maiden.
“Mathew’s drive won the race. He was patient and timed it to perfection. He made me very happy. He’s a very good driver and I’m so grateful for the way he bided his time.
“Poor George never gets any luck with the draws. He would have won a lot early if he had been given a nice marble. I see he’s copped another tough one on Wednesday again,” Anderson said.
Lesvos Lad has drawn five (of eight) in the ninth race (9.52pm) at ‘The Triangle’ on Wednesday.
As for last Thursday, the son of Jet Laag and Molly Ridge was third last at the bell (two out and four back), before being dragged into the race three-wide by runner-up Amelia Springfield (8) down the back straight.
Neilson then unleashed the grey gelding in the lane, storming down the outside to get up in the very last stride and win by a nose.
Lesvos Lad (9) paced the 1,780m mobile in 2:14.7 (mile rate 2:01.8). His sectionals were 30.7, 30.8, 29.4, 32.3.
It was his ninth start. He also placed at Redcliffe on October 13 with Neilson again in the bike.
As for Anderson, she has now trained 62 winners since April 1983. Her most successful season came in 2001-2002 when she nailed five.
“It’s always been a hobby for me – a lifetime passion. It’s a lifestyle. I get up at 4am, work my horse, go off to my day job, then feed up after work. It’s what I’ve done for years.
“I’ve driven a lot more winners than I’ve trained, especially in the in the early days at a lot of the tracks that are no longer here. I don’t drive any more. I prefer to let the good ones like Matthew do that job now.”
Anderson remembers not long after her previous training victory in 2018 she became quite ill and was forced to give the game away.
“I suffered from severe migraines and it took a couple of years before any treatment helped, and then the neurologist talked me into having Botox injections to my head.
“So, every three months I now have 30 Botox needles injected into my head. Thankfully the horses have always kept me busy over the years.
“Hopefully I’ll win a few more with George,” she said.
Anderson was born in Warwick, raised in the Darling Downs, and educated at St Mary’s Catholic School. She has lived in Knight Street for about 15 years.
In 1974 Anderson and her mother were the first of 10 lady drivers to line up in a race in Queensland. She won her first race at Ipswich not long after behind a Ken and Peggy Barton trained pacer.
“I can’t think of his name. It was so long ago, but I do remember he was a striking black horse,” said Anderson.
The ever humble horsewoman (who hates her photo being taken), left her biggest achievement in the sport to near the end of this story.
When asked what her greatest moment in our great sport was, Anderson replied:
“Probably when I educated and trained young horses for George Michael who is from Toogoolawah. I educated them here in Redcliffe, and early on I trained Melton Luciand for him. I helped set that horse off on his career. He later went on to win a heat of the Interdominion.
“He was foaled in 1993 and in the end he won 44 races (and $376,764).”
Some of Anderson’s horses over the years have been:
Melton Bye Bye (six wins), Union Monarch (4), Melton Luciand (5), Ru Cavallo (3), Albert Uwin (2), Lombo Happy Hour (1), Illawong Lively (1), Dolly’s Hope (1), Justseeyou (1), and Lesvos Lad (one for now).
“You can’t forget Bond Seven,” Anderson exclaimed.
“I trained and drove him to win a few races. I’ll never forget winning at Toowoomba behind him in January (30th) 1984. Dad (Bill) ran second on Callum Court, and Mum was third on Digger’s Delight.
“There wouldn’t be too many father-mother-daughter combinations in the world who have finished first, second, and third in any kind of race.
“That is something I am very proud of. I loved growing up and then working and driving horses in the Darling Downs. It’s a shame all those great old tracks have been closed down,” Anderson said.
Footnote: Anderson’s training silks are purple with the white stars, and white hat.
