Max Delight primed for Bendigo Pacing Cup, says trainer David Aiken

The eight-year-old will be chasing three straight victories on Saturday night at Lord's Raceway, following tough wins in the $60,000 Cherry City Cup (2887m) at Young and the $24,000 Sokyola Sprint (1720m) at Melton to round out 2023.

He will be doing it in a race he previously fared well in.

Max Delight finished a gallant third behind New South Wales raider Major Meister in last year's race, beaten by 2.3m.

The timing could not be better for Avenel-based Aiken and his 2021 Group 1 Victoria Cup winner, with this year's race free of interstate influence following their focus on last month's Inter Dominion in Brisbane.

The 64-year-old trainer is confident Max Delight - to be driven by gun reinsman Nathan Jack - is in a strong position to contend for cup honours at Bendigo.

"He's in form and going good at the moment and he's in the race right up to his ears," he said.

"What's helped the local horses this year is that they had the Inter Dominion in Brisbane and then you have the Sydney carnival virtually late February into March, so a lot of New South Wales horses are having a bit of a regroup and a regather.

"So it's left it to us locals in Victoria."

With a pair of recent and well-spaced wins alongside his name, Aiken is increasingly content with his decision to bypass the Inter Dominion series.

"When Emma Stewart scratched a few of her horses, we were actually in the top 30, but we had a couple of other races in mind," he said.

"He's getting older now, so three runs in a week mightn't have suited him, so we stayed and targeted the Young Cup at the same time and he won that.

"Then he came back and won the free-for-all last start, so it's worked out pretty well.

"He's been up a fair while, but he's still reasonably fresh and racing so well at the moment."

Aiken is chasing his second Bendigo Pacing Cup win.

He won the prestigious race in 2016 with his Inter Dominion and Miracle Mile winner Lennytheshark, recognised as one of Australia's greatest ever paces.

Like Max Delight, Lennytheshark won a Victoria Cup - two of them in fact.

"He was a one in a lifetime horse. Bendigo is one of our main country cups and it's always hard to win. It took a horse like him to win it," Aiken said.

"It was always a race I wanted to win. We'd been close a few times, so it was good when he finally won it.

"I'd love to win another one."

That won't be easy, with Aiken seeing threats on many fronts, most notably from the Emma Stewart-trained duo Hurricane Harley and Beyond Delight and the Steven Duffy-trained Serg Blanco, who he says is 'racing well'.

"I don't know what the early betting is, but there are a number of horses I think can win it and that makes for a really good race," he said.

"There is not a really dominant horse in there and when that happens people can tend to drive a little negatively, whereas when there is four or five in there with a chance, there should be plenty of action.

"A small field should produce a good race."

Max Delight is no stranger to success at Lord's Raceway.

His biggest win in a career that has included NSW Derby and Breeders Crown success as a three-year-old was achieved in the 2021 Victoria Group, run that year at Bendigo due to COVID restrictions.

Beyond Bendigo, Aiken has at least one goal in mind for Max Delight.

"He's won nearly $900,000, I'd just love to get him over the $1 million mark," he said.

"That's my target this year.

"He is an eight-year-old, but provided he stays as sound as he is, he has a bit of racing left in him.

"A win on Saturday night would push us closer to that ($1 million) target."

2023 Major Meister

2022 Spirit Of St Louis

2021 Wolf Stride

2020 Code Bailey

2019 San Carlo

2018 Messini

2017 My Kiwi Mate

2016 Lennytheshark

2015 Christen Me

2014 Im Corzin Terror

2103 Sushi Sushi

2012 Decorated Jasper

2011 Smoken Up

2010 Sammy Maguire