Glint of Gold (5 April 1978 – 1990) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A middle-distance specialist, he was noted for his toughness and consistency, winning ten races, finishing second six times and third once in a seventeen race career which lasted from July 1980 until September 1982. He won races in four countries including six at Group One level. His major victories included the Gran Criterium and Derby Italiano in Italy, the Grand Prix de Paris and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in France, the Preis von Europa and Grosser Preis von Baden in Germany and the Great Voltigeur Stakes and John Porter Stakes in Britain. He was also placed in The Derby, St Leger Stakes, Coronation Cup and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. He was retired to stud at the end of the 1982 season and had modest success as a sire of winners.
Background
Glint of Gold was a strongly-built, good-looking bay horse with a white star bred by his owner Paul Mellon. He was sired by Mellon's stallion Mill Reef and American-bred horse who won the Epsom Derby, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1971. Mill Reef's other offspring included Reference Point, Milligram, Shirley Heights, Lashkari and Doyoun. Glint of Gold was the first foal of his dam Crown Treasure, a daughter of Graustark who was sent to Europe in to be covered by Mill Reef and remained there for several years owing to import restrictions. A year after Glint of Gold was foaled, Crown Treasure produced his full-brother Diamond Shoal, an outstanding middle-distance performer who won the Gran Premio di Milano, Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Grosser Preis von Baden in 1983. She later produced Crystal Spirit, a leading hurdler who won the Sun Alliance Hurdle and the Cleeve Hurdle in 1991.
Like many of Mellon's best horses, Glint of Gold was trained at Kingsclere in Hampshire by Ian Balding. He was ridden in most of his races by the British jockey John Matthias. Like many of Balding's horses, Glint of Gold usually raced on a sheepskin noseband.
Racing career
1980: two-year-old season
Glint of Gold ran three times as a two-year-old in 1980. He made a successful debut at Ascot Racecourse in July when he won the Sandwich Stakes over seven furlongs. In August he started favourite for the Acomb Stakes (now a Group Three race) at York Racecourse but was beaten into second place by Cocaine. In October he was moved up in class and sent to Italy to contest the Group One Gran Criterium over 1600m in Milan. He won from Bold Brigadier, No Piracy and thirteen others.
1981: three-year-old season
Glint of Gold began his three-year-old season by winning the Warren Stakes over one and a half miles at Epsom Downs Racecourse on 21 April, after which he was offered at odds of 33/1 for the Derby Stakes over the same course and distance. In May he was sent to Italy for the second time for the Derby Italiano over 2400m at the Capannelle Racecourse in Rome for which he was the only foreign challenger and started odd-on favourite. Matthias sent him into the lead in the straight and he won very easily by two lengths from My Franky.
At Epsom on 3 June Glint of Gold was one of eighteen colt to contest the 202nd running of the Derby and started at odds of 13/1 behind Shergar, Shotgun and Kalaglow. Glint o Gold was towards the rear of the field in the early stages before making steady progress in the straight. He never had any chance with Shergar, who won by a record margin of ten lengths but was clearly the best of the other runners, beating Scintillating Air by two length for the second place. Matthias reportedly believed that he had won the race as he crossed the line: "I thought I had won ... Shergar had gone so far clear I didn't see him". In late June, Glint of Gold was sent to France for the Grand Prix de Paris over 3000 metres at Longchamp Racecourse but the race was cancelled and then rescheduled for 4 July because of industrial action by Pari-Mutuel staff. Glint of Gold became the first British-trained winner of the race since Lemonora in 1921 as he defeated Tipperary Fixer by three lengths with the favourite Vayrann in third place. In August Glint of Gold returned to England for the Great Voltigeur takes, a trial race for the St Leger Stakes, run over one and a half miles at York Racecourse. Carrying a seven-pound weight penalty as a Group One winner, he started even money favourite and produced a "striking" performance, taking the lead in the straight and winning by three lengths from Little Wolf who was in turn seven lengths clear of the other five runners.