The former top-line chaser, owned by Lal Lal’s Cairns family, died after suffering a heart attack last week.

David Cairns said the family had kept Bombastic Shiraz’s death quiet for the past few days, giving them time to privately deal with the sadness.

“He ate his tea and was in perfect condition at 12 and a half years of age, (but) basically his heart gave out,” Cairns said yesterday.

“He was just a legend of a dog and just such a great family dog.”

Bombastic Shiraz leaves a legacy that will never be forgotten in Australian greyhound racing.

The son of Black Shiraz won 18 of his 35 career starts, highlighted by a stunning 2003 campaign in which he became the first greyhound to win the Melbourne Cup, Top Gun and Shootout in the same year – a group one treble known as the triple crown.

He was named the Victorian and Australian greyhound of that year, and upon retirement, furthered his brilliance at stud.

Bombastic Shiraz was champion stud dog at state and national level a number of times before being retired from service last year. 

He was then inducted into Victorian greyhound racing’s Hall of Fame.

“He will live on for a long time in the breeding scene,” Cairns said.

“He was a great dog for Ballarat. At one stage Darren (Bombastic Shiraz’s trainer) was nominated for (Ballarat Sportsmen’s Club’s) sportsperson of the year and that was the dog. I can’t think of any animal that has been nominated for that award.”

Bombastic Shiraz won $355,915 throughout his racing career.