'Marvellous' Max ready for the challenge

31 October 2025

THE prospect of taking on two-time New Zealand Cup winner Swayzee doesn’t bother leading trainer David Aiken.

His stable star Max Delight has had a brief let-up since finishing fifth to Kingman at Menangle in mid-September.

Of course, Kingman went on to put up an extraordinary performance to win the Victoria Cup.

Swayzee may be just as big a hurdle for Max Delight but Aiken has declared he couldn’t be happier with his regally-bred son of Bettors Delight.

And he admitted that every time Max Delight raced he was expecting to find some class opponents waiting for him.

“There are just so many nice horses around at the moment,” said Aiken.

“The bottom four in Max Delight’s race appear to have a little class edge on the others.

“It’s a good race and the draw does make it interesting.”

Aiken said Max Delight had trialled perfectly for his return to the track at Menangle this Saturday night in Race 4, the 1609m Graham McNeice Memorial.

“He broke 26 seconds coming home in his trial and I’m really happy with where he’s at at the moment.

“After Saturday night we’ll be back next week for the Italian Cup, my bloke is defending champion.

“We’ll see how he gets through that but we are pretty keen to go Wagga after that for their Carnival Of Cups race.

“The track doesn’t worry the horse.

“We raced him at Young and he handled that track OK but last year with Inter Dominions and other races coming into December it was just the wrong time for us.

“I’d have loved to go in some of those country cups, but you just can’t go around in everything.

“The tracks do make a difference and I do like going to Wagga.

“They always put on a good show there.

“I know Luke [McCarthy] is also planning to go there with Don Hugo, so that should be a great field.

“The Italian Cup next week should be a good field too.”

Aiken also has both his square-gaiters, the promising Pesco Pollo as well as Speedy Lover going around in Race 7 over 2300m.

“Pesco Pollo was brave last week and this looks a pretty even race.

“He is going from a midweek race to a Saturday night, but I do think he is a Saturday night horse.”

Aiken says Max Delight is still his best hope: “He never runs a bad race.”