Midnight Dart is already a race winner at Trentham and now comes to Ellerslie. Photo / Peter Rubery
Bargain buy Midnight Dart will be out to get the party started for his throng of next-generation owners when the Lisa Latta-trained juvenile contests the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions on Saturday.
The colt by Derryn was bought by Latta’s son Josh Herd for $20,000 from the Grangewilliam Stud draft at Karaka last year and was one of the first horses qualified for the Ellerslie feature when winning on debut at Trentham.
Midnight Dart subsequently finished fourth to Karaka Millions favourite Kinnaird and enters the lucrative sales race as a $35 chance at his third start.
Latta has already made her mark on the Karaka Millions stage, winning New Zealand’s richest 2-year-old race with Fort Lincoln in 2011 and finishing second with Showmeyamoneyhoney in 2016, but a win with Midnight Dart would ensure son Josh Herd doesn’t have to buy a drink for quite some time.
“I went to university down in Otago, and there are quite a few mates of mine from uni that are in him,” Herd said.
“Some of them are from as far north as Kerikeri and as far south as Invercargill, not to mention mates abroad in America and another friend at college in Amsterdam.
“There’s something like 75 owners in the horse and 45 to 50 of them would be under 30.”
Herd returned from travelling abroad and completing the Sunline Trust International Management Scholarship to take a senior hands-on role at Latta’s Awapuni stable and his longer-term ambition is to be a trainer in his own right.
“It was great being able to travel the world and see different facets of the thoroughbred industry through breeding, racing and even working for a sales company like Goffs in Ireland,” Herd said. “I was able to learn things that I usually wouldn’t have been exposed to.
“It’s great to be home and I have settled in well. It is always enjoyable when the team is going well.
“Mum and I have a terrific relationship, so we both know what we have to do, and it just gets done. There aren’t too many arguments or any of that carry-on.”
In addition to being hands-on with the horses, Herd is also heavily involved in race planning and jockey bookings.
“Mum allows me to put in my 10 cents worth, which is good and we have a great bunch of staff as well,” Herd said.
“I definitely want to end up training, but I don’t think it’s any time in the near future and I’m keen to get some more international exposure.”
Midnight Dart is by Grangewilliam Stud’s headline stallion Derryn, with his mother Ambitious Beauty a full sister to the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Ambitious Owner.
“He was a strong precocious yearling and his full sister Shoes had run in the Karaka Millions 2YO and that was the goal when I was going to the sale, to try and purchase a horse to run in the race,” Herd said.
“You never really know until you go to the races with 2-year-olds as it’s always a bit of a lottery when they’re having their first start.
“But we were pleased with what he had shown us and it definitely wasn’t a surprise to see him win on debut.
“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 is keen to see more young people get involved in racehorse ownership and believes small shares in syndicates make it far more attainable.
“I feel like racehorse ownership is something that older people get involved in once they have a bit more money, but through syndication, it has certainly become a lot easier for people of all ages to get involved,” he said.
“We have a lot of good syndicators in New Zealand but I’d love to see a pathway for the next generation.
“I’ll be looking to purchase another horse at the Karaka Sales next week with the aim to get back to the Millions again next year and hopefully, we get a good crew of young people involved again.
“The more the merrier.”
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk