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.

[2] 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.

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.

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.

As Shergar began to struggle, Glint of Gold moved into the lead two furlongs from the finish and looked the likely winner but was overtaken and beaten two and a half lengths by the 28/1 outsider Cut Above.

Racing on heavy ground, he took the lead in the straight and won by three and a half length from the Polish horse Czubaryk and the Russian filly Struna.

Matthias tracked the pacemaker Show-A-Leg before taking the lead in the straight but was overtaken in the closing stages and beaten half a length by Easter Sun.

In a rough finish[10] he took the lead in the final furlong but was overtaken and beaten by a length by Critique, an unpredictable horse who was given a much-praised ride by Lester Piggoott.

The French-trained five-year-old Lancastrian emerged as his only serious challenger and briefly took the lead 100m from the finish, but Glint of Gold rallied strongly in the closing strides to win by a head.

[13] Eddery was again in the saddle on 24 July when Glint of Gold contested Britain's most prestigious weight-for-age race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

He appeared to have taken a narrow lead approaching the final furlong but was outpaced in the closing stages and eventually beaten into third place by Kalaglow and Assert.

He had some success as a sire of flat race horses with his best winners including Heart of Darkness (National Stakes) and Tessla (Fillies' Mile).