David Aiken named Living Legend

Master horseman David Aiken has been named as the VHRC Caduceus Club Living Legend.

“It’s a great honour and to join that honour roll is just amazing,” Aiken said.

Aiken recalled sharing the race track with the sport’s legendary reinsmen.

“Brian (Hancock) and Vic (Frost) were my idols growing up and then I got to drive against them and they were tough as there was no junior driver concession then,” he said.

Aiken acknowledged the lifelong support he has received from family and staff.

“I’ve been so lucky with the horses I’ve had and more lucky with the people behind me and the support I’ve had from my wife Colleen and my children David, Bec and Josh,” he said.

“And the staff I’ve had over the years have been just as good as the horses because without them you just can’t get this job done.”

Jumping into the sulky for the first time at the age of nine, the young Aiken’s career pathway was already sealed.

As a 16-year old-16 Aiken spent a year with NZ trainer Derek Rickerby and by the age of 17 had made his first excursion to the US undertaking a shoeing course.

By the early 1980s Aiken was preparing a small team at Bankstown and had his first taste of competing at the elite level when Toby Duane qualified for the 1985 Inter Dominion Final at Moonee Valley.

Then followed subsequent placings at Harold Park with Tiffs Mystery in 1988 and the American import Ultra Jet who was narrowly beaten by Weona Warrior in the 1994 Grand Final after sitting outside the leader.

In January 1989 Aiken trained six winners at Harold Park and Aiken prepared horses have won every Sires Final at Harold Park.

Aiken twice represented NSW in the National Junior Drivers Championships.

A three-time winner of the Harold Park Training and Driving Premierships, in 1995 Aiken made the move to set up stables at Avenel in Victoria.

Aiken has built an imposing record in his adopted state and in the 2013/14 season took out the Metropolitan Trainers Premiership

It was during this season a horse arrived at Aiken’s stables who would later become a cult hero of the sport.

The pacer Lennytheshark, dubbed ‘The Shark’, finally delivered Inter Dominion success to Aiken in 2015 when he proved too strong for his rivals after sitting in the death throughout on a hot December Sunday at Gloucester Park.

A month later Lennytheshark led all the way in the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton.

In March 2016 another welcome stable addition arrived when Hectorjayjay was transferred to Aiken’s care.

Several months later Aiken produced a fine training feat when Hectorjayjay and Lennytheshark ran the quinella in the Group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle.

For the next 12 months the pair ensured the Aiken stable would be prominent in feature races around the country.

Hectorjayjay was runner up in the 2016 Inter Dominion Final in Perth before winning the Group 1 Canadian Club Sprint and the Group 1 Blacks A Fake.

Meanwhile ‘The Shark’ gave Aiken his first Miracle Mile win at Menangle when he sat outside Hectorjayjay in the 50th running of the event.

In recent years the familiar yellow and blue colors have kept Aiken in the harness racing spotlight courtesy of the multiple Group 1 winner Max Delight.

In 2019 Max Delight chalked up the first of his Group 1 successes in the NSW Pacers Derby, a race which resulted in an Aiken stable quinella with Malcolms Rhythm finishing second.

Two years later Max Delight provided Aiken with a second Victoria Cup victory when the noted sit sprinter darted through along the sprint lane to upset the favorites at Kilmore.

Aiken also put the polish on five- time Group 1 winning trotter Big Jack Hammer who took out the 2019 Australian Trotting Grand Prix.

Aiken has trained or driven at most Inter Dominion carnivals since 1985.

Of Aiken’s 2545 wins there have been 33 at Group 1 level and his runners have amassed $25m in stake money.

in 2022 Aiken was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and in his role as an ambassador, he has been an active advocate of urging men to get checked up and raising valuable funds for research into prostate cancer.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink