Jenny Anderson committing to Trot Rods concept

By Jordan Gerrans

As the treasurer and long-time trainer at the Redcliffe club, Jenny Anderson understands clearly how important the Trot Rods concept has been in recent times. 

When the exciting 947 metre dash racing series rolls around every year, it adds extra eyeballs and attention to the popular ‘Triangle track’.

While the 72-year-old Anderson has prepared her small team out of the local area for many years, she was yet to have a starter in a Trot Rods race until the first week of the 2026 series. 

With stable favourite Last Call, Anderson won her debut effort in the Trot Rods on Wednesday evening and set the early mark for this year with a 65.9 second win. 

The pace-setting mark came in the opening heat for 2026 with the Stewart Dickson-prepared Connies Spirit unable to go faster in the following heat just 20 minutes after. 

“I really was thrilled,” the veteran trainer said.

“I was really excited by having a horse to go in it, let alone come out and win. That was a bonus.

“I had a lot of confidence in her on Wednesday night because I knew her best aspect was her gait speed.

“She has always been so honest, but she lost some of her confidence over the last few years.

“But, now, even in her work, she's back to her old self, I believe.

“I changed her feeding program at one stage and she's been really good since then.”

As well as preparing Last Call, Anderson also owns the mare. 

From the two alley, reinsman Gary Bond was able to lead early on with Last Call as they started as a $2.70 hope.

The six-year-old mare had enough left in the tank late on to lead all the way to score by almost four metres.

Last Call endured a winless 2025 campaign where she went to the races 35 times and was able to place on eight occasions.

The daughter of Four Starzzz Shark is back near her best since the calendar ticked over to 2026 as she has won on two occasions and placed three more times from 12 attempts.

Last Call was a maiden runner as a three-year-old after four attempts in Victoria when Anderson picked up the mare back in June of 2023.

She has since banked more than $50,000 in career stakes.

“I remember her as a green three-year-old,” Anderson recalls.

“She showed ability and she just progressed. She eventually won at Albion Park which put her into a higher bracket.

“Before I got her, I watched her trials and even though she did a little bit wrong, she showed ability and I just took a liking to her and I liked the breed.

“I really liked the Four Starzzz Sharks and that was one of the reasons why I bought her.”

Anderson prepares a team of three from Redcliffe and jokes that Last Call is her second stable favourite behind stalwart pacer Lesvos Lad.

The horsewoman has been training in her own right since the early 1980s and still drives all her own trackwork at the Redcliffe track.

Over the last couple of years, she has taken up a position on the Redcliffe committee and currently holds the position of treasurer.

The fastest time ever recorded in a Trot Rods race was Fact Finder smashing the clock in 62.99 seconds to win the title last year.

The third and fourth heats of the 2026 Trot Rods series will be held on Wednesday evening at Redcliffe.