A group of young university friends, led by Josh Herd, are set to contest New Zealand's richest two-year-old race with their bargain purchase, Midnight Dart. The Lisa Latta-trained colt, acquired for $20,000, won on debut and now faces long odds in the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions at Ellerslie on Saturday. With around 75 owners mostly under 30, the syndicate embodies a fresh wave of enthusiasm in horse racing.
Josh Herd, son of trainer Lisa Latta, bought Midnight Dart for $20,000 from the Grangewilliam Stud draft at last year's Karaka sales. The colt, sired by Derryn out of Ambitious Beauty—a full sister to Group 1 winner Ambitious Owner—qualified for the prestigious event after a debut victory at Trentham. He later placed fourth behind favorite Kinnaird and enters as a $35 outsider for his third start.
The ownership group reflects Herd's university connections from Otago, spanning from Kerikeri in the north to Invercargill in the south, plus friends in America and Amsterdam. "There’s something like 75 owners in the horse and 45 to 50 of them would be under 30," Herd noted. This diverse syndicate highlights growing interest among younger people through affordable shares.
Latta has prior success in the Karaka Millions, winning with Fort Lincoln in 2011 and runner-up with Showmeyamoneyhoney in 2016. Herd, fresh from international travels including the Sunline Trust Scholarship and work at Goffs in Ireland, now assists at his mother's Awapuni stable. He handles race planning and jockey bookings while aspiring to train independently.
"It’s a thrill just to have a runner in the race and I’m sure it will be a good night, win, lose or draw," Herd said. He advocates for more youth involvement, planning another purchase at upcoming sales to sustain the momentum. The horse's precocious nature matched Herd's goal of targeting the Millions, though two-year-old racing remains unpredictable.
This story underscores syndication's role in making ownership accessible, potentially inspiring a new generation in New Zealand's thoroughbred scene.
