Mitcharlie Mia's achievement in qualifying for Saturday night's Ladbrokes Group 1 Golden Easter Egg final has elevated her to the number one status in owner-trainer Mitch Northfield's assessment of his best greyhounds.
Until Mitcharlie Mia came along, that honour had been reserved for Coomerang Chief, who won an astonishing 25 races during a 12 month period around 1989.
"Coomerang Chief was a great dog and I never thought I would get another as good as him,'' Northfield said.
"All up he won 31 races but after finishing second in his maiden race in February his 25 wins in a year included the $10,000 to the winner Kirk's Cup at The Gabba and the Surf Lifesavers' Cup at Wentworth Park.
"He won four at Wenty and also finished second in Brisbane's XXXX Cup and in Queensland's Lawnton Cup while he also ran third in the Tweed Heads Galaxy.
"Because it is an 18 hours round trip from my place to Sydney, at one stage I asked Don McMillan, the leading metropolitan area trainer, to take Coomerang Chief for me. But Donny refused saying he didn't want the responsibility of training such a fast dog for someone else.
"What if something happened to Coomerang Chief while he was in my care?'' was his concern."
Later Don did train several smart performers from the NSW Northern Rivers including Leon Mal, 1993 Vic Peters Classic winner and Bralyn Maisie, victorious in the 2007 Ladies Bracelet winner.
But with Mitcharlie Mia winning 18 of 35 starts including the Richmond Oaks and a heat of the Golden Easter Egg as well as running second to Dawkins Bale in last Saturday's Egg semi-final, she has become Northfield's best greyhound.
Mitch Northfield, 55, is a plasterer who trains just five greyhounds on a part-time basis at Dobies Bight, 10km from Casino.
He was born into the sport, with his grandfather being the legendary Charlie "Pop'' Northfield, who won the 1946 Ballina and Casino Cups with Bonall's Return and trained Stratheden Rock to an upset win over the immortal Zom Top at Lismore in 1969.
"Pop'' Northfield's son Bill, the father of Mitch and his brother Charlie, who bred the great Paw Licking, raced the mighty PRETTY SHORT.
PRETTY SHORT won 50 races and broke 14 track records in the mid 1980s, when Mitch was in his early 20s.
"With my family background I was always going to become involved with greyhounds,'' Mitch said. "The first dog I bought was in 1980 when Dennis Reid, who was one of the top Sydney trainers and breeders, relocated to the Northern Rivers.
"I bought a dog off Dennis named Early Picnic, thinking I could improve his form.
"Considering he had been trained by none other than Dennis Reid that was a pretty dumb thing to believe but while I can't say I improved Early Picnic I did win a few small bush races with the dog.
"Apart from Coomerang Chief and Mitcharlie Mia, my best greyhounds have been Kooringa Title, Kooringa Flyer and Go Wild Bean. When I sent them to Sydney they were trained by Don McMillan.
"Kooringa Flyer won six races at Wentworth Park while Kooringa Title was a Golden Easter Egg semi-finalist. Go Wild Bean finished third to Edie Beauchamp in the 2006 Golden Easter Egg final.''
Mitch Northfield's brother Charlie bred Mitcharlie-mia">Mitcharlie Mia from his brood bitch Proper Lucy, while leading Casino/Lismore trainer Brad Northfield is their cousin.
Nothing could be more fitting than for Mitcharlie Mia to take out the Golden Easter Egg, as it would provide greyhound racing's "first family'' with their crowning racetrack glory.
