Golden Bear returns to ‘Thursday night lights’

By Pat McLeod

Ben McGrath shakes his head, but then laughs with genuine fondness, when recounting his training experience with troubled speedster Golden Bear.

“He’s actually a really beautiful dog, but,” he starts. 

And, with Golden Bear, there is always a ‘but’.

On Thursday night, the almost four-year-old will have just his 34^th start, debuting on the Q2 Parklands track in a 520 metre race against quality opposition.

Most in greyhound circles know Golden Bear’s story. He was bred by respected Ipswich owner, trainer and breeder Adam Mcintosh.

Golden Bear was a very fast dog on the way to a probable celebrated Group career. That script was binned through several on-track indiscretions.

He was sent to Victoria for the first half of last year – he won races, but bad behaviour continued. Golden Bear eventually returned to Queensland and to McGrath’s kennel.

Ironically, in Golden Bear’s final race in Queensland before heading south - a Queensland Derby heat at Albion Park - McGrath’s Slippery Way ran second to Wreck James (trained by Darren Russell), with Golden Bear third.

In greyhound racing there is an inevitable twist.

As McGrath explains, part ownership of Golden Bear was shrewdly handed to his 25-year-old son Slater as part of a ‘training lure’.

“A few of us went down to Casino for the Pop Northfield series and the other owners (brothers Scott and Michael Gould) said to me during the night, ‘we’ve got a proposition for you’ and the end result was that Bear came into my kennel,” he says.

And, then another ‘but’ comes in.

“But, you know what, Bear has really grown on us,” McGrath continues.

“I’ll go down to the kennels and my wife Kylie will be just sitting and patting him. She’s fallen in love with him.

“Yes, he is a really over-the-top dog. He starts yelping with excitement every time you box him. That is really embarrassing. And, he has played up numerous times in his races.

“But, he is also a really beautiful dog. I believe that he can be a great pet one day.”

Of course, his performances for McGrath have also been endearing.

His nine starts based at the East Brisbane kennel have resulted in four wins and two placings.

“There is no doubt that he has lost a couple of lengths from the speed he once had,” McGrath said.

“But, he is still a very good race dog. He starts well and chases hard. He is a very sound dog and has had just the 33 starts.

“Bear is getting very close to that final race. But, I believe there is still a big race win in him.

“Now that may just be in a race like this Thursday night. Whatever it is, he will be trying.”

On Thursday night, McGrath will again have his fingers crossed as Golden Bear (14 wins and nine placings for $122,060 in prizemoney) exits box two against the likes of Mustang Hayze (Sandra Hunt), Extreme Tension (Ned Snow) and Group 1 victor Mepunga Shine (Martina Kirillidis).