Mr Shire indicated he is a middle distance star of the future by giving Cawbourne Haze's long-standing The Gardens 600m track record a shake on Friday night.
The Bob McColm-trained two-year-old came from third early to win easily in 34.64, only .24 outside the time standard the Ron Bell-trained Cawbourne Haze recorded in May 2012
Mr Shire would have gone even quicker had he not been clipped from behind soon after rounding the first turn, an incident which caused the dog to spear off the track and lose valuable ground.
"When Mr Shire was galloped on he suffered a slight hind leg injury, so he will be out of action for a couple of weeks,'' McColm said.
"Mr Shire always trials 29.40 for the 515m at The Gardens but that is in two dog trials, he is too slow early and gets too far back to reproduce that time in races.
"That is why I stepped him up to 600m but I don't intend trying him over long distances just yet because he is too young.''
XXXX
It's not often a performance trial winner posts the fastest time of the day at a major TAB fixture but the Martin Bowe-trained Pippy Dippy did just that on Thursday when she rocketed over the Maitland 400m in 22.38.
"I may nominate her for a race at Maitland on Friday but I'll leave the final decision up to the owners, a family syndicate headed by Ian Graham,'' Bowe said.
"Pippy Dippy is a daughter of Charlie Lamb's good race bitch Wiradjuri Girl and is from her second litter, this one to Barcia Bale.
"I have only been a trainer for five years but have managed to get a couple into the Laurie Healion Memorial final at The Gardens.
"Pippy Dippy is pretty smart but her sister Lika Showgirl, who has not yet been in a performance trial, is quicker up the straight.
"At this stage Lika Showgirl doesn't handle the turns as well as Pippy Dippy so she is taking a bit more time.''
XXXX
Gas Metre, a dazzling winner over 520m at Dapto last Thursday night, will have this week off before returning to Dapto on April 14 in a bid to qualify for a 520m Wentworth Park final six nights later.
The son of Fabregas and trainer Peter McCann's former good race greyhound Some Folks won at Dapto last Thursday in a brilliant 29.78.
McCann, one of only two remaining trainers in Glebe, just up the road from Wentworth Park, has a good opinion of Gas Metre but has always been one to prepare a greyhound carefully for a race.
"After his win last Thursday Gas Metre is resting up this week and then I'll enter him for the Dapto to Wenty heats and hopefully he will qualify for the final on April 20,'' McCann said.
"Gas Metre has always had ability but he had a couple of falls early in his career and it took me a while to get his head right after those mishaps.
"My wife Christine named him because he was by Fabregas and when we were looking for names she threw Gas Metre into the mix.
"Some Folks, the dam of Gas Metre, won seven of 28 starts and was a Wentworth Park winner who unfortunately had to be retired just when she was hitting her straps.''
XXXX
Has there been a more accomplished 'box one bandit' than Lovelace?
The John Smart-trained greyhound took her tally wearing the red rug to six wins from six starts when she ran down veteran Inner City over 600m at Dapto on Thursday night.
Lovelace has had a win and five placings from 10 starts over 520m at Wentworth Park but could appear there soon in a 720m event as she is endowed with plenty of stamina.
Her trainer has only recently returned to his first love, greyhound racing, after a long spell working for leading thoroughbred trainer John Hawkes.
Among the champions Smart cared for during his time with Hawkes at Crown Lodge was the great Octagonal, winner of 10 Group 1 races.
