by Duane Ranger (courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Jenny Anderson – the only new face on the six-strong Redcliffe Harness Racing Board, has been driving and training standardbreds for 57 years.
In fact, the 71-year-old also boasts a unique world-wide harness racing feat, that is likely to never be equalled.
On January 30, 1984, Ms Anderson drove Bond Seven to win a Pacing event on her Darling Downs hometown track in Toowoomba. Her father, Bill May, drove Callum Court into second, while Mum, Dawn, completed the family trifecta by steering Digger’s Delight into third.
“It’s a race that will stay with me forever. I was speaking to Mum about it today in fact, I remember the race was worth just $420 for the winner, and Bond Seven paid $50 to win. In those days you were allowed to get my stablehands licence aged 14, and I when I was old enough I got my trainers’ licence. I couldn’t get in the cart quick enough,” said Ms Anderson, who only gave up driving 20 years ago.
“I had my first race-day drive when ladies were licenced to drive in 1974. I remember driving with my Mum at the time,” she added.
But the accomplished chef still works her own team of three on her beloved Redcliffe Racetrack. In fact, all three are housed in her own backyard in Knight Street, just a stone’s throw from ‘The Triangle’.
“Harness racing is in my blood, and always will be. It is something I am very passionate about, and that’s why I stood for the committee. I care for the people and I care what happens in our industry,” Ms Anderson said.
A self-confessed workaholic, Mrs Anderson is up at 3.50am each morning to work her horses before heading off to her daily job in nearby Scarborough, where she is the head chef and caterer at the Bally Cara Aged Care Retirement Village. She returns home late in the afternoon to feed-up.
“It’s what I’ve done for years, and would have it no other way,” Ms Anderson said.
Newly appointed President of the Redcliffe Harness Racing Club, Mark McNee, said Ms Anderson was the ideal candidate for his committee.
“Jenny is the only committee member who works horses on the track, and that is going to be valuable for us, because she can report back to us the little and big things that need to be tended to. Her harness racing experience is also widely respected. I’m glad she’s got a voice at the Club now. You can’t beat experience like that,” McNee said.
“I’m here for the people and the betterment of the club. Redcliffe holds a special place in my heart. I drove a lot there in my early days. Toowoomba, Rocklea and Ipswich as well, which had standing start races only,” she insisted.
“These days I like to use the younger drivers on my horses. I am a big supporter of Mathew Neilson. I think he does a wonderful job in the sulky,” she added.
Five years ago, Ms Anderson said she would have never entertained the though of standing for her committee, but she thought 2024 was the right time.
“I got a phone call from Dennis Whittaker a few weeks ago asking if I would stand. I thought about it long and hard and not too long after I had my voting and nomination papers with me in early September. I moved to Redcliffe in 1981, so the Club has been close to my heart for 43 years, and even before that when I used to travel here to drive,” Ms Anderson said.
“I also spoke to the Treasurer, Reg Vidler, and I’d like to learn some of his work to, which he said he was willing to teach me. I’m interested in the data that’s attached to the saddle cloths which records each horse’s sectional time. I’m a staunch supporter of the Redcliffe Club. That’s what motivated me to stand,” she stressed.
Harness Racing Australia records only date back to the 1982-83 season, but Mrs Anderson said she would have driven about 100 winners. She has also trained 74 winners in that time from 1,308 starters. Ms Anderson has also on 243 occasions and netted $231,937 in purses.
Her best season was last year when she trained seven winners, 15 placings, and netted $46,539 in purses from 67 starters. Ms Anderson’s silks are purple, white stars, purple sleeves, white stars, and her second set of colours are the orange, with a green Maltese Cross (opposite to her late grandfather’s galloping colours).
But it is the colour grey that really motivates her training. Her last winner was her beloved grey – Lesvos Lad, the five-win 9-year-old son of Jet Laag, who was victorious Redcliffe Paceway on March 7 this year at odds of $31.
She admits she’s always had an infatuation with grey standardbreds.
“I love them, especially grey standardbreds. I’ve always loved them and I love this wee guy. I call him ‘George’ after his previous owner, and he’s so adorable. I bought him in August 2020 from Victoria. He was trained and driven by Peter Chamouras down there. My mother said I needed to get another horse. He was a new project. My ‘therapy’,” Ms 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,” Ms Anderson said.
“As for dear old Lesvos Lad he had a wee holiday now, but is now back in work.”
Ms Anderson’s two other horses in work both raced at Redcliffe Paceway on Wednesday night with Last Call finishing seventh in race four, and Sals Last Blast third in race five.
Ms Anderson was born in Warwick, raised in the Darling Downs, and educated at St Mary’s Catholic School. She came to Brisbane in 1981 and has lived in Knight Street for about 15 years.
Her grandparents and parents were all involved in racing. Both her parents also rode in races at the former Kedron-Wavell track.
“I was bred into horse racing and horses are my life. I am now keen to see how the intricacies of the sport work, and hopefully can put my skills in elderly care management to good use. I know all about saving and cutting costs. It’s something I am well versed in so I hope that helps.
“I’ve driven a lot more winners than I’ve trained, especially in the early days at a lot of the tracks that are no longer here. I don’t drive anymore,” she said.
Ms Anderson remembers not long after a training victory in 2008 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. Like everyone, I really enjoy winning,” she said.
She won her first race at Ipswich not long after behind a Ken and Peggy Barton-trained pacer named Stormy Brink. He was a striking black beautiful horse. Interestingly enough their daughter, Tanya, later married former Queensland trainer and now steward, John Cremin,” said Anderson.
The ever-humble horsewoman (who doesn’t like 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, Ms 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.”
