Phil and Margaret Creighton will be more nervous than most when hot favourite Follow The Stars lines up at the Harness Jewels at Cambridge on Saturday.
But their part-ownership in New Zealand harness racing's most exciting juvenile pacer in years might never have been after a disastrous first year when they went shopping at the Christchurch leg of the yearling sales in 2008.
The East Taieri couple joined Christchurch couple Phil and Glenys Kennard, Neil Pilcher, also of Christchurch, and Ashburton man Gavin Douglas in buying two horses, spending $100,000 on a Christian Cullen colt, Christopher Paul, and $50,000 on Informer, a Courage Under Fire colt.
Within a few months of leaving the sales ring, they were both dead - Informer from a training accident and Christopher Paul from blood poisoning.
''We lost all our money and luckily they said, 'Are you in again next year?' and I said 'Yes','' Phil Creighton said yesterday.
''If you're in horses, it's always a gamble, but along came Major Mark and we never looked back. But we would have lost $30,000 to $40,000 each on that first year which would have scared some people off I suppose.''
Major Mark, a $60,000 purchase in 2009, paid the group back in spades, winning $574,109 in stakes before being sold to Western Australia.
The son of Art Major was the leading 2yr-old of his year, winning most of the juvenile features in 2010, and opened the door for the ownership group to build on their success.
Gotta Go Yanky (four NZ wins, $22,336) and Your Good Fortune (three NZ wins, $37,720) were sold to Australia after promising starts in New Zealand, while the wins kept coming with Fly Like An Eagle and Border Control.
In fact, the Creightons and their fellow owners are shooting for their third win in the Harness Jewels 2yr-old emerald category following Major Mark (2010) and Fly Like An Eagle (2011).
Border Control was the 3yr-old emerald champion last year at Ashburton and, like Fly Like An Eagle, is a New Zealand Derby winner.
Creighton admits he still cannot quite believe the eye for young horses All Stars Stables co-trainer Mark Purdon possesses.
''We pick a lot out on pedigree and Mark looks over them on conformation. He's ruthless. He wants near perfection.''
Which brings us to Follow The Stars. The syndicate now buys two horses a year, one in New Zealand and another at the Australian sales.
''This one was the Australian purchase [last year] and the surprise was he [Purdon] only paid $20,000 for it.
''It's beautifully bred. It's out of an imported American mare [Smyrna Duruisseau] and it's got some pretty good damside pedigree in the background.''
The son of Art Major is unbeaten after six starts, but it was about the time of Follow The Stars' first start at Alexandra Park in December that Creighton heard Purdon utter some rare words to him.
''I don't talk to Mark too often ... but he rang about something and he said to me and his exact words were, `Phil, this horse is thrilling me'.''
Follow The Stars produced a huge three-wide run for much of the 1700m to win the Young Guns final at Alexandra Park in March and continued on in Australia, winning heats of the Australian Pacing Gold [APG] series before thrashing his rivals in the final at Melton.
The only question remains how Follow The Stars can overcome his horror draw of the outside of the second line on Saturday.
''He [Purdon] is hoping that he'll get the three-wide train around the field,'' Creighton said.
''But if they ease the pace, he can go around them. This horse can do a bit extra.''
Follow The Stars has one fewer rival to take after stablemate Hug The Wind was scratched with a hoof problem.
