Darts stars Luke Littler and Stephen Bunting have joined forces with former England and Liverpool striker Michael Owen to purchase a two-year-old racehorse named Bunting Mental. The colt, acquired for £54,000 at auction, is trained by Hugo Palmer at Owen's Manor House Stables in Cheshire.
Partnership Born from Shared Passion
Reigning PDC world champion Littler, who often competes against Bunting in the Premier League, has teamed up with his darting rival and Owen to venture into horse ownership. The trio's new acquisition, Bunting Mental, takes its name from the chant frequently sung by fans in support of Stephen Bunting.
Littler was spotted at the Cheltenham Festival in March with his girlfriend Faith Millar, and both he and Bunting have evidently been inspired to become owners. The horse, by Group 2-winning sprinter Ardad out of a Bated Breath mare, has shown promise in training despite a recent setback that will delay its racecourse debut by a few months.
Trainer's Praise for Colt
Trainer Hugo Palmer expressed enthusiasm about the new ownership team. "It's great to have a young guy involved," Palmer said, referring to Littler. "Most of our high-profile sportsmen in horse ownership are of my generation, so it's great to have people of the next generation."
Palmer added that the colt has impressed in training. "I think they have a really nice horse on their hands. He has pleased us in everything that he's done; he won't be ready to run for a couple of months but he is a horse we are high on."
Speaking about the horse's potential, Palmer noted that jockey Franny Norton described Bunting Mental as "all of the W's - 'Will win when wanted.'" The horse recently had a minor niggle that set back its schedule by a month, but Palmer believes it will be worth the wait.
Background of the Partnership
Michael Owen, who retired from football in 2013, founded Manor House Stables in 2006 and has since dedicated much of his time to racing. Hugo Palmer, formerly based in Newmarket, joined Owen's operation four years ago, replacing Tom Dascombe as the resident trainer.
Littler and Bunting have not yet visited the yard due to their commitments in the Premier League darts, but they are expected to do so soon. The partnership marks an exciting new chapter for the darting duo, who are now part of the horse racing community.
