Like Wildfire raced his way into the record books with his 33.96sec 14 lengths romp over 603m at Gosford on Tuesday night.
The Michael Ivers bred, owned and trained sensation became the first dog to break the 34s barrier, with the mighty Blue Moon Rising establishing the 603m record of 34.21 on January 1, 2019, figures which were subsequently matched by Punter's Bandit earlier this year.
Michael Ivers said: "I wasn't at all surprise at how fast Like Wildfire went because he is a litter brother to Trapper Tears and Trooper Tears, who have become stars in Victoria, yet he could always donkey-lick them in trials when they were unraced youngsters.
"It is especially pleasing to get the Gosford record because another of my favourite greyhounds, Space Star, once held the track record holder there.
"Breaking a record always seems to take a lot out of a dog so Like Wildfire will rest for a week and is then likely to contest the 600m GRNSW Middle Distance Series race at Ladbrokes Gardens on Saturday, June 3.
"After that I may send him to Melbourne for a Sunday race meeting over 595m at Sandown but while I think he will run 720m for sure, I think he is also capable of picking up a couple more 520m fifth grades at Wentworth Park beforehand.''
Glen Goodwin is so thrilled to have two finalists in next Wednesday's Ladbrokes Jimmy Jenkins Memorial at Bulli he declared: "If I win this race it will bring a tear to my eye.''
The late Jimmy Jenkins was a "jack of all trades" greyhound racing official and Goodwin, who has Velocity Stevie and Reuber in Wednesday's final, had an association with Jenkins which spanned four decades.
He said: "One of Jimmy's duties was working as an identification steward, and as far back as 1980 I was taking puppies to his home at Tarrawanna, near Corrimal, to have them marked.
"Once Jimmy had verified all the markings on the pups they were ready to be named while he also worked at Bulli track for 50 years.
"I would dearly love to win Jimmy's race and if Velocity Stevie draws near the rails she has a great chance.
"She had box eight when she was beaten a length in 26.32 by Weffalee Shield in her heat but is much better from an inside alley.
"My other finalist Reuber has a big motor but can't afford to keep coming out last and beating this class of greyhound.
"In his heat Reuber was beaten four lengths in 26.38 by Such A Shame.''
Fastest heat winner was the Craig Chappelow-trained Sweet City Gal, who overcame an unsuitable box seven draw to clock 26.28, while King Of Tulsa was the other heat victor in 26.32.
Until his death in August, 2020, Jimmy Jenkins was revered as being Australia's oldest living Socceroo.
After representing a combined South Coast side in an international match against South Africa in 1946, he became Australia's goalkeeper in two tests against Yugoslavia in 1949.
After retiring from football he returned to his boyhood passion, greyhound racing, identifying dogs and hand-starting races at Bulli in 1963.
He also officiated for 17 years as chief steward at Moss Vale greyhounds before spending 12 years in a similar capacity at the Nowra track.
Jimmy Jenkins' association with greyhounds began as an 11 year old in the early 1930s, when he earned pocket money exercising his neighbour's bitch Bella Kelly.
She won four races at Wollongong when the lure was attached to the outside rail, and while children were not permitted to attend greyhound racing in those days, Jimmy once said: "I knew every loose bit of tin on the fence surrounding the track and used to sneak in and attend every meeting there.''
