505 starts and veteran campaigner back on winner’s list

Thirteen-year-old marvel and last-start winner at his 505^th appearance, Lancelot Bromac (Art Major) will be back at it today when he heads an hour along the highway to the Albion Park harness racing meeting in Brisbane.

It’s something of a regular routine in 11 years of racing for the old Caboolture pin up boy “Lance”, as he’s known, and part-owner and trainer Stewart Dickson, says there’s still some racing left in him yet.

“I’ll be honest, we’ve had our knockers who reckon he should be retired. But I know the horse pretty well and he’ll tell me when he’s ready to retire.  He’s never had an injury or shown the slightest sign of being unsound,” Dickson said.

Just a week ago, Lancelot Bromac posted his 34th career win—remarkably, his first ever at the Redcliffe ‘triangle’ circuit.

“I don’t usually take him to the Redcliffe meetings because he loves the big Albion Park track and that style of racing. But when the meeting was transferred to Redcliffe last week, I thought well he can go around,” Dickson said.

“We drew inside the back row and got buried to three back. Leonard (driver Leonard Cain) just sat quietly and got up the sprint lane to win by a head. It was a good drive, and I don’t mind a bit when they go along the pegs—it’s the shortest way home!”

Dickson said each time “Lance” goes out onto the racetrack, he gives every bit he’s got.

“Of course, his form, like most of them, can go up and down a little.  I decided one day to give him a fortnight off and that didn’t work because all he did was run along the fences in his spelling paddock,” he said.

“Then he’d stop at the gate as if to say I’m not liking this and want to go back into work!

“He’s definitely part of the family. He’s become the ‘People’s Horse’ up here – everyone knows him. There are families who travel miles just so the kids can turn up and give him a pat.

“It’s quite funny because the horse is loving racing as much as ever, but he’s such a cranky bugger at the races. He kicks out and swings his head around and plays up—I think it’s a case of white line fever, but he’s well-known for all the antics.”

Apart from being one of the oldest pacers still competing in Australia, “Lance” continues to show his resilience. Aided by Dickson’s incredible dedication as his trainer, he last December broke the Australasian standardbred record of 486 racestarts, held by Destreos (Astreos) who also did the majority of his racing in Queensland.

Lancelot Bromac is raced in partnership by Dickson and his mate, popular Gold Coast race caller Mitch Manners.  The pacer has won over $385,000 in stakes in career statistics reading: 505 starts, 34 wins, 73 second placings and 63 thirds.

“His consistency has been the key—he’s certainly paid his way over the years,” Dickson added.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink