Legendary Lancelot Bromac to return from short-lived retirement

By Jordan Gerrans

One of the great careers in the history of Queensland harness racing was over - for about six weeks.

Cult hero and popular pacer Lancelot Bromac was retired following his effort where he ran ninth of 12 at Albion Park in late October.

At 14 years of age and boasting an array of records for his longevity in the caper, Lancelot Bromac has developed a sizeable following of fans across his lengthy career.

After four runs across August and October of last year where he did not finish better than fifth, Lancelot Bromac’s trainer and part-owner Stewart Dickson made the tough call to retire the gelding with 551 starts and 34 victories to his name.

He holds the record for most ever career starts in Australasia for a standardbred.

The Caboolture-based Dickson can pick up the story from here.

“I retired him for about six weeks but he just wouldn’t retire,” the veteran horseman revealed this week.

“You put him in the paddock but all he wanted to do was walk up and down the fences, he would run amuck.

“He is just one of those horses, you try and spell or retire him but he wants no part of it.

“He drove me mad there for a few weeks, we moved him to all different parts of the property to try and get him to settle.”

Lancelot Bromac was not in work for all of November and some of December before he was brought back into work by chance.

The 75-year-old Dickson is in the process of finding a suitable race to bring him back in, noting it will likely be in the next 10 or so days.

While ‘Lance’ was not particularly loving being retired, that was the plan that Dickson had stuck with for a few weeks.

That was until Queensland horseman David Stewart started using Dickson’s property to train his small team.

Stewart was working up Perfect Feeling – who won at Redcliffe earlier this month – and needed a mate to work his gelding alongside.

“I ended up bringing Lance back into work as Perfect Feeling is a bit of a nightmare to work,” Stewart said.

“Old Lance wasn’t liking it in the paddock, running up and down the fence, and ‘Stewy’ suggested I use him to work my fella.

“I got another horse after that – so I didn’t need to use Lance – but he has kept working.”

At 14 years of age, Dickson did not retire ‘Lance’ because of any injuries or issues.

The evergreen pacer was keen as ever to race but after a run of indifferent efforts, he thought the time might be right to pull up stumps on his storied tenure as a racehorse.

“He is a good old sound horse,” the Caboolture trainer said.

“He is not as quick as he once was.

“He never runs a bad race, he is always there. He is part of the furniture at the track and he will get back there.”

Dickson has devised a new plan for when he does need to call time on his career.

“When I do eventually retire him, I will have to take him off this property as he is so used to his everyday routine,” he said.

Dickson has raced Lancelot Bromac in all but five of his career starts. 

While Lancelot Bromac has been having a short freshen up, another from the Dickson team has been flying the flag at the races.

Dickson’s Ashlee Nitro scored last Wednesday to set the new record for the most wins at Redcliffe, with the victory being her 31^st at the venue.

The nine-year-old mare scored seven days prior to equal the record and then broke the best-ever mark with youngster Jack Chapple in the bike.

“It is a pretty big effort in this day and age,” Dickson said.

“Not too many horses go on and win the number of races she has at one particular track these days because the handicapper eventually catches up with them.

“I was really pleased for her because she is such an honest little thing and a nice mare.

“She is a good little sound mare, as well. I came home from the races pretty proud that day when she broke the record.”

Glenmore Admiral previously held the record for most victories around the ‘Triangle’ track at Redcliffe.

The Dickson team has been in good form of late as Connies Spirit and Ashlee Nitro have both recorded wins this month.

Stablemate Heavens Baby heads to Redcliffe on Wednesday night with the trainer hopeful the positive results can continue.