Aiken's Delight in $60,000 Carnival of Cups feature

4 December 2023

It was a successful return to his state of origin for former Sydneysider David Aiken on Friday when the much-decorated trainer prepared Max Delight for an emphatic win in the $60,000 HGH Motor Group Cherry City Cup at Young.

Before a fantastic crowd that enjoyed high quality pacing action and a rock concert rarely ever seen at a harness racing meeting, the Cup treated them to a spectacular finish at the end of a gruelling 2887 metre journey with Max Delight powering over the top of pacemaker and favourite Cya Art which led everywhere bar the post before failing by a narrow margin.

For Aiken, the win was a special one, not only because he had taken out a Carnival of Cups feature with his talented entire at his 100th career start, but also because the seven-year-old was able to bounce back into the winners’ circle after some top efforts leading into Friday’s race.

“That was an almighty win,” claimed Aiken in a post-race interview.

“He has been unlucky with barrier draws, so to see him secure the gun run tonight and finish off the way that he did was a special feeling and somewhat a relief for me.”

Aiken was also full of praise for his driver Nathan Jack, who yet again proved that he is one of the best reinsmen in the sport by navigating his winning moves from an unsavoury gate 11 draw.

“That was one of the best drives you will see. Nathan summed things up perfectly and used all his brilliance as a reinsman to tactically put Max into the right position, ready to strike at the right time,” said Aiken.

“If you had asked me how I would have liked the race to play out before they went out onto the track, that is exactly how I would have wanted it.”

The win now places Max Delight alongside Pas Guarantee in a position to win a $200,000 Carnival of Cups bonus should either pacer be able to win the next three TAB Carnival of Cups races at Tamworth, Albury, and Goulburn or a $100,000 bonus if either pacer can win another two of those features.