Caption: Adam Mcintosh’s Golden Bear surges to victory in a heat of the Eric Thomson Memorial (520m). (Photo: Box 1 Photography)

By Pat McLeod

Brisbane trainer Adam Mcintosh will know within seconds if his handy youngster, Golden Bear, is able to continue his winning run with a feature scalp at Albion Park on Thursday night.

The Zambora Brockie x Golden Joy chaser has catalogued three from three at ‘The Creek’ and will exit Box 2 at his next assignment, the final of the Eric Thomson Memorial (520m).

“He is a big dog that has always shown ability,” Mcintosh said.

“He will get better as he matures. He is one of those dogs that needs a bit of room up until about 20 metres, then he will accelerate.

“If he can get that on Thursday night, then he is a chance.”

With just the four starts and three wins on his CV to date Mcintosh is hopeful the early signs of potential will blossom.

“I have said it from the outset, that the whole (homebred) litter has got ability, they just need to show it on the racetrack,” he said.

“I am just not convinced that he is handling the turns well enough yet, although he was a little better last week.

“In the heat I thought he may have been a little short of a run, but to run the time that he did (30.06), was a little bit of a surprise.

“He trialled only fair the week before in a post-to-post. I then took him away for a trip to Grafton and he trialled OK down there.

“There is no doubt that he is a good chaser. Big and strong.

“I would have preferred to have drawn the outside where he may have got a little bit more room.

“He just needs that 10 or 20 metres to be left alone after box rise.

“It really is a case of whoever gets through that first turn OK, because there is not a lot separating them to the post.”

Mcintosh said he had just the three littermates in his kennel at the moment – Golden Bear, Kisses For Gran and an as-yet unraced dog.

He said the three-member Triple By Pass Syndicate that owns Golden Bear had an association that dates back decades.

“I own the dog with brothers Michael and  Scott Gould,” he said.

“We have been mates since we were about 10 years old and went to high school together.

“We met when, well let’s just say, I took Scott’s bicycle for a ‘joy ride’.

“We used go to a local shop and play ‘pinnies’ (pinball) and we got to know each other from there.

“In fact, Scott was the one responsible for getting me back into greyhounds after I had a break for a while.

“He organised me to do a plastering job that ended up with me buying two greyhound pups.

“Over the years he has often bought a pup out of litters that I have bred.”

The Eric Thomson Memorial Final offers $16,000 to the winner.

The $18,500 TAB Legacy Classic Final (520m) will also be staged on Thursday night at Albion Park.