Max Delight winning the 2026 Nullabor
MILLIONAIRE pacing marvel Max Delight hasn’t finished chasing feature races just yet.
Trainer David Aiken said the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton in October looms as a logical target for the rising 11-year-old, who made headlines for the wrong reasons in last month’s $1 million Brisbane Inter Dominion final.
Max Delight’s driver Will Rixon was wrongly blamed for contributing to Leap To Fame’s defeat after being trapped wide and having to drag back to last.
His performance to get going again and finish eighth was enormous.
“It was just so disappointing for Will (Rixon) and the horse, who has won over $2 million and deserves more respect than that,” Aiken said.
“Instead of celebrating another big run in his fourth Inter Dominion final, old Max and Will were the centre of totally unfounded criticism.
“When you look at his run after all the early issues, he went enormous. All of his runs in (Inter Dominion finals) have been huge. He’s a freak, this horse.
“I truly believe he’s racing as well as ever and I’m not even going to say we’re on a farewell tour with him yet.”
Despite his age, Max Delight scored the biggest win of his stellar career in the $1.25 million Group 1 Nullarbor at Gloucester Park in April.
“He’s come through Brisbane well and the Victoria Cup is a good option in a couple of months,” Aiken said.
Max Delight’s Brisbane deeds took his career record to 38 wins and 55 placings from 165 starts and earnings over $2.06 million.
With Rixon holidaying in the US with close friend and top former Aussie driver Todd McCarthy, now star in the US, Aiken has snapped-up Amanda Turnbull to reunite with Max Delight from a wide draw (gate 10) in Saturday night’s Club Menangle Alf Phillis free-for-all (2300m).
“As much as Will’s been a big part of this horse in recent times, it’s great to be able to have Amanda back on him. She had a great association with him and he was her drive before she had that bad fall (in late 2024),” Aiken said.
Turnbull, who boasts over 2600 wins and 14 at Group 1 level, drove Max Delight three times for two wins and a third in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle on September 7, 2024.
Rixon will be watching and cheering his old favourite from the US as he prepares to attend the iconic Hambletonian meeting at The Meadowlands track in New Jersey.
“It’ll be great to get around and see some of the great racing and I might have a drive or two myself while I’m here, I’ve packed my driving gear,” he said.
“You look at what Toddy and Andy (McCarthy, brothers) and Dexter Dunn have done over here and it’s hard not to think about trying it yourself, but for now this is just a holiday after a big few years.”
PHOTO: Pacepix/Scott Hamilton
