It was said to fly back in record time (3)
I believe the answer is:
roc
'it was said to fly' is the definition.
The definition suggests a singular noun which matches the answer.
'back in record time' is the wordplay.
'back' says the letters should be written backwards.
'in' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'cor' can be found hidden inside 'record time'.
'cor' in reverse letter order is 'ROC'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for roc that I've seen before include "Mythical monstrous bird" , "Sinbad's huge bird" , "Legendary thing" , "Mythical creature from Arabia" , "fabulous bird is seen" .)