Max Delight draws first blood in the Carnival Of Cups - Four to go

David Aiken can’t help but wonder how long Max Delight’s (Bettor’s Delight) determination and desire can last. After all the gelding is ten years old and the veteran of a monumental 173 race starts, a tally very few harness horses achieve. It seems that every time the experienced trainer even ponders a likely retirement date, the old warrior plucks one out of left field.

It happened again at Wagga on November 6th when he scored an emphatic win in the $100,000 The Bidgee on the roomy Riverina Paceway. Max Delight made light of a second row draw to work forward to the lead after 500m before going on to beat much younger rivals Palladium and Forever OnThe Punt in a tidy rate of 1.54.1 for 2800m.

Some disgruntled form students were kicking themselves for ignoring the enormous odds on offer- fourth favourite at $12.00 for a horse who’d won the Gr 1 Nullarbor at Gloucester Park as recently as last April. Ten subsequent starts had yielded a Menangle win in 1.50.8 and five placings. Two of those placings were in Interdominion heats at Albion Park before a luckless unplaced run in the Grand Final. The Bidgee win marked a career defining 1000 wins for youthful reinsman Will Rixon who’s been “Max’s” regular pilot for the past eighteen months.

Keeping old horses in the right zone is a job for the most astute of trainers. The older these animals get, the more work they seem to need. How to keep Max Delight fit enough without driving him to distraction is the challenge Aiken has been facing for a year or more now. Remembering too, the very serious setback this horse suffered six years ago. The veteran’s win in The Bidgee was his fortieth complemented by an astonishing 56 placings. He boasts a prize money tally of $2,135,745 and a personal best mile rate of 1.48.8 established in February 2025 when he beat Captain’s Knock in a Menangle Free For All. Perhaps his greatest endorsement is the fact that he’s won major races across eight racing seasons, from 2018 to 2026.

Curiosity prompted me to give David Aiken a long overdue call early this week. The decorated horseman continues to be amazed by Max Delight’s unrelenting enthusiasm.

“His tendon injury in 2021 was a pretty serious one and required extensive rehabilitation over a lengthy period of time,” said the 67 year old trainer.

“He didn’t race for around eleven months and to look at the tendon today it’s hard to tell there was ever a problem. He spends a lot of time in the Menangle water-walker and his trackwork is carefully tailored. The weekly hometrack trials enable me to keep him ticking over without excessive hopple work.”

“Max” has a few important things going for him. To begin with he’s a very athletic horse who doesn’t carry bulk, he’s incredibly clean-winded, very light on his feet and his faultless conformation ensures that he hits the ground correctly. These are the things that have made it possible to keep him going at the highest level. I’d have to say he’s second only to LennytheShark as my all time favourite with HectorJayJay snapping at their heels. “Lenny” was a unique animal in every way, while “Hector” is the fastest horse I’ve trained.”

David made the call to ease himself out of race driving around six months ago and leave that responsibility to younger and lighter navigators. He still enjoys going around at the trials and hasn’t completely closed the door on race day participation. Just for the record he’s credited with 1400 driving wins and 2600 in the training role.

“If I happen to become attached to a horse or two down the track I might still throw the colours on, but it’s not a priority. I’ve actually been standing aside for quite some time now. I drove LennytheShark in only three races, and never actually won with him. Chris Alford suited him perfectly and he got the job. It’s the same with Max Delight. Will Rixon gets on famously with him and isn’t a heavy driver. A lot of old timers still believe the driver’s weight is unimportant. I’ll tell you what, it’s important when horses are feeling the pinch in the closing stages of races.”

Max Delight, foaled on October 15, 2015 is a son of siring phenomenon Bettor’s Delight whose global progeny earnings are currently sitting on a gobsmacking $650,000,000. His legacy was highlighted once again this week when eight of his progeny contested the NZ Cup. Max Delight’s dam is the influential Lady Euthenia (Art Major) whose 21 racetrack wins included five Gr 1’s. Despite some non productive years Lady Euthenia has left a great broodmare legacy as the dam of several winners headlined by “Max” and his full sister Major Delight winner of 22 races including 4 Gr1’s for $729,000.

It’s now history that Devonport based businessman Mick Maxfield paid $245,000 for Max Delight at the 2017 Australian Pacing Gold Sydney Yearling Sale, an Australasian record price at the time. That price was generated by a rapid fire bidding duel between Mick and another high profile NSW owner who fancied the colt’s bloodline and statesmanlike looks. Just as the prominent Tasmanian owner breeder was nearing his pre-determined limit, the opposing bidder gave up the chase. The hefty outlay has been covered many times over by “Max’s” stunning prize money haul – a tally bolstered by wins in a NSW Pacer’s Derby, Breeder’s Crown 3YO Colts and Geldings Final, Victoria Cup and his $500,000 windfall in the Nullarbor. Even his win in The Bidgee at Wagga dropped another $54,500 into his bank account, while 56 career placings have provided constant “top-ups”.

Many have forgotten that Max Delight began his racing life in Sydney with Darren Hancock who started him only twice for a two year old win at Goulburn and a Menangle placing. Owner Mick Maxfield then made the call to bring him to Tasmania where he won two races at Mowbray for Paul Ashwood. The high priced colt had shown enough ability in seven starts to warrant an opportunity on the mainland, and David Aiken was invited to take over the training from his Avenel base. Following a spell he returned to racing under the Aiken banner as a gelding.

“Because of his great pedigree and healthy price tag Mick was anxious to leave him a colt, but a few little tell tale signs quickly confirmed that he’d make a better racehorse as a gelding. Even today he’ll still have a little nip when you least expect it, and he can plant a quick little kick just to let you know who’s boss from time to time. There’s no doubt we made the right call.”

The Bidgee win set Max Delight on the path to the lucrative Carnival Of Cups extravaganza for 2026/2027. Barring unforeseen circumstances the remarkable veteran will contest the Gold Rush Cup at Bathurst on December 11th, the Newcastle Steel City Cup on January 8th, the Penrith Renshaw Cup on January 30th and The Murray Cup at Albury on February 12th. Each of these features will carry prize money of $100,000. Old Max will be admirably suited by the spaces between races, enabling David to make frequent trips to the water-walker and keep him up to the mark at the Menangle trials. Mick Maxfield rarely gets to see his marvellous horse race in the flesh these days but Dave has perfected a system to overcome that problem. He records pre-race and post-race interviews with Will Rixon on his phone and has them to Mick within minutes. “I’m an ordinary interviewer but good enough to get the message across to the man who absolutely idolises this marvellous old horse,” says the trainer.

Multiple premiership winner David Aiken has never been a huge team trainer. Even in his busiest years he rarely had more than 35 horses in work. Today Dave’s working only a quarter of that number enabling him to take his foot off the pedal. Perhaps the fact that he and Colleen are now grandparents for the first time has played a part in the scale back of operations. Daughter Rebecca was responsible for this major change in their lives thirteen months ago, when she brought baby Eliza into the world. Dave makes it clear retirement is not on the agenda at the moment. He’ll more than likely hold off for a while just in case Eliza shows a flicker of interest in the horses.

 

by John Tapp for Harnesslink

 

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