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GLITTERING LEGEND, HARRY DAVIES \/ Peter Willett Future Stayers\u2019 Maiden Stakes \/\/ 2024 \/\/\/ Goodwood \/\/\/\/ Photo by Alan Crowhurst\/Getty Images<\/p>\nThe past few months for David Eustace have been all about preparation and planning \u2013 building fitness, managing expectations and aiming to peak on a very specific day.<\/p>\n
You could easily assume we\u2019re talking about his enviable hand of four-year-olds, carefully assembled and conditioned for Hong Kong\u2019s Classic Series.<\/p>\n
And you\u2019d be right.<\/p>\n
But front of mind this Sunday morning is something slightly different: Eustace\u2019s first ever marathon, the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, which he will run before heading to Sha Tin to saddle up one of his key Derby prospects later in the afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not really a race,\u201d Eustace says with a smile. \u201cYou\u2019re racing against the clock. I\u2019d love to run under three-and-a-half hours if I can \u2013 five-minute kilometres.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trainer\u2019s preparation has been simple and methodical, not unlike his approach to training horses. One long run, two shorter efforts each week, plenty of consistency, and no major overthinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t changed a whole lot, to be honest. Just ran a bit more,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve really enjoyed the training. It\u2019s been cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Eustace\u2019s own preparation has been smooth, the same can\u2019t quite be said for Glittering Legend, the lightly raced European import who will make his Hong Kong debut later in the day in the 1400m Class 3 Handicap.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a little bit of a rush,\u201d Eustace admits. \u201cHe had a setback straight out of quarantine \u2013 nothing major, just his action \u2013 but we had to stop and then start again. He was a bit scratchy and shuffly early, but he\u2019s moving beautifully now.\u201d<\/p>\n
That assessment is backed by the gelding\u2019s profile. Formerly trained in Britain, Glittering Legend arrives with a strong European r\u00e9sum\u00e9, including a Listed win at Newcastle and a placing in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot. A Hong Kong rating of 78 gives Eustace some breathing room.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy gut feel is he\u2019ll be better for a run,\u201d he says. \u201cEuropean horses often need tempo. They like a proper gallop to get into a rhythm.\u201d<\/p>\n
GLITTERING LEGEND, HARRY DAVIES \/ Peter Willett Future Stayers\u2019 Maiden Stakes \/\/ 2024 \/\/\/ Goodwood \/\/\/\/ Photo by Alan Crowhurst\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
That theme \u2013 tempo \u2013 is central to both Eustace\u2019s marathon and Classic thinking. Glittering Legend won\u2019t contest the Classic Mile, but a forward showing on Sunday would put him firmly on the Derby path if the race is run to suit.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s definitely got the ability,\u201d Eustace says. \u201cIf they go quick and he gets into a nice rhythm, I think he\u2019ll run well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of Eustace\u2019s other four-year-olds, Helene Supafeeling will bypass the Classic Mile after over-racing last start when the tempo slackened mid-race.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe found the pace of the 1400 too slow and pulled hard,\u201d Eustace explains. \u201cThat stop-start nature of Hong Kong racing can take a bit of adjusting for some horses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dazzling Fit remains on the bubble for the Classic Mile with a rating of 75, having been kept deliberately fresh, while Seraph Gabriel (76) will stay in Class 3 company for now \u2013 a move that may ultimately help Eustace manage numbers when final Classic fields are declared.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s all part of a broader picture that has seen Eustace make a quietly impressive start to his Hong Kong training career. After arriving with a formidable Australian r\u00e9sum\u00e9 \u2013 including a Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, multiple Derbies and a national trainers\u2019 title alongside Ciaron Maher \u2013 the 34-year-old Englishman wasted little time adapting to Sha Tin and Happy Valley.<\/p>\n
He finished his first Hong Kong season with 36 winners and has recruited strongly since, sitting just outside the top ten in the current trainers\u2019 championship after a slow start to the campaign.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, though, the stopwatch comes first.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be there,\u201d Eustace says. \u201cLuckily he\u2019s in a late race.\u201d<\/p>\n
A marathon in the morning. A Derby hopeful in the afternoon. For David Eustace, it\u2019s all about timing, rhythm \u2013\u00a0and being ready when it matters most. \u220e<\/p>\n
![\"Little](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Little-Paradise-HKJC-pic-1024x683.jpeg\")
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2026 Hong Kong Derby: Power Rankings, January 13<\/p>\n
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