During the 2026 Queensland Constellations, Will Rixon will partner with a pair of horses at the opposite ends of their careers.
Rixon is the regular driver for Max Delight which will tackle the Inter Dominion, while he also takes the reins behind Senses who will target all the three-year-old races for fillies.
Max Delight has had 162 race starts and ranks as the 12th richest Australian bred pacer of all-time after recently exceeding $2m in earnings with his 38 wins and 53 minor placings.
Senses has started just eight times, recording an impressive five wins and three seconds.
The David Aiken-trained Max Delight was back at the trials on Wednesday at Menangle as the veteran prepares for another Inter Dominion campaign and Rixon was happy with the performance.
“It actually worked out pretty good that he could finish on a helmet and they run good time,” Rixon said.
“Aikey said he come through the trial good, so all systems go.
“He'll have another hit out, whether it's a trial or a race, and then he'll be heading up.”
The now ten-year-old will join some elites of the sport when he lines up in a fifth Inter Dominion Series.
A three-time finalist, Max Delight finished fifth in 2025 behind Leap To Fame and while Rixon is aware of the enormity the challenge presents, he is by no means conceding before the series starts.
“We think we are a realistic place chance,” he said.
“He was the first horse home off the fence last year.
“And he drew outside the front in the heat and outside the back in the second heat.
“We're going in confident that he's going to be really competitive.
“Whether we can beat Larry or not, I mean, we'll need a fair bit for him to go wrong and the bit for us to go right.”
Despite his advancing years, Max Delight is still at the peak of his powers, winning The Nullarbor at Gloucester Park in Perth two starts ago.
That win broke a four-and-a-half-year drought between Group 1 victories for the gelding, giving Rixon his fourth win at the elite level and first outside his home state of New South Wales
In a two start Perth campaign, Max Delight backed up with a strong third in the Fremantle Cup seven days later.
With Max Delight chasing a third successive Inter Dominion Final, Senses will chase a maiden Group 1 victory in the Queensland Oaks.
A winner in five of eight starts so far in her career, the David Thorn trained filly was the runner-up in the New South Wales Oaks and will start her Queensland campaign in the Redcliffe Oaks.
Thorn and Rixon combined to win the 2024 edition when Ever Art led throughout and will hope lightning can strike twice when Senses lines up.
“The plan is for her to go to Redcliffe,” Rixon said.
“She is a really nice filly and I think will be a pretty exciting addition to the Carnival to have her racing, especially being Leap To Fame’s sister.
“She's just getting better every time she goes out there and is a really high quality filly, so we are pretty excited.”
Along with his main two hopes, Rixon is hoping that another pair of quality horses will also arrive in Queensland for the Carnival.
Cynical is a potential Rising Sun hopeful for David Thorn and Gunna Reload could target the Rising Sun and the Golden Girl for Peter Rixon.
Despite winning the Group 1 Bathurst Gold Crown aboard Jacwill Kid, he is unlikely to take the reins on the two-year-old in The Protostar, a race where he finished second in 2025 aboard Ark Sea.
Recently changing stables in a high-price sale, Cam Hart appears likely to gain the drive with the gelding now prepared by Jason Grimson.
Despite the setback, Rixon is aware that situations change and remains philosophical that the next opportunity could be on the horizon.
2026 will be the third carnival for Rixon who has tasted success during the Queensland winter over the past two seasons.
Along with his Redcliffe Oaks win in 2024, the four-year-old Championship went to the Rixon driven Blazing Home, while in 2025 he secured the Southeast Derby aboard Seathestars.
“I love getting up there and I've had a little bit of luck up there, so just hope we can continue,” Rixon said.
