Aiken chases fourth success in Smoken Up Sprint

Harness racing trainer David Aiken can foresee plenty of paths that could well justify a victory cigar following the TAB Smoken Up Sprint on Saturday night, when the stable chases a fourth title.

Having been first past the post twice with Lennytheshark and once with Wrappers Delight, Aiken will take a three-pronged attack in to the feature of Bendigo’s stunning 11-race card, which includes the Victoria Derby and Oaks heats. To view fields click here.

“The three horses are going good and the three have great drivers on them, and they’ve all had a good week,” Aiken told SEN Track’s Trots Life. “I don’t think we’ve got any excuses, so if we have a bit of luck we shouldn’t be too far away.”

Max Delight and Sirletic will start from the widest front row gates and be expected to take vastly different approaches, with the latter preferring to lay in wait and strike last while the former captalises on his almost peerless gate speed.

And then there’s Malcolms Rhythm, who will start from gate 10 and hope to emulate his eye-catching finish to last week’s Jet Roofing Kilmore Pacing Cup when he finished third.

Max Delight is a $2.60 favourite and Aiken agrees with the punters that he’s the best of the stable’s chances.

“He’s a good short-course horse,” he said. “Very quick out, he’s got that gate speed where he can cross a lot of horses.”

After consecutive wins at Menangle he ran fourth last start when burnt early over the sprint distance in the Group 1 VHRC Caduceus Classic, paying a price for a 26.6-second first quarter.

“His last start fourth I still thought was full or merit, he did a lot of work,” Aiken said. “There was a lot of petrol used there and I think if he can get across them (Saturday night) and get a little breather he will be hard to beat.

“That early burn, it just takes that kick out of you and he’s one of those horses, his A to B speed’s really good but when he had to do that little bit extra he just didn’t have it. He was coming back from a Sydney campaign and I think he’s going to be really good Saturday night.”

If the pace is on early that may well see opportunity knock for Aiken’s swoopers, with both Malcolms Rhythm and Sirletic likely to be punching on late.

“I’m really happy the way Malcolms Rhythm’s going at the moment and he’s got a good trailing draw and it wouldn’t surprise me if he figured in the finish,” Aiken said.

The stable will also prepare Narutac Prince for a Lather Up Victoria Derby heat. The regally bred little half-brother to Turn It Up ($514,246) and full-brother to Perfect Sense ($143,530) and Treasure $161,402) will chase finals qualification from gate six.

“He’s a really nice little horse, got great speed,” Aiken said. “Bit of a tough draw, I don’t know where he’s going to end up in the run. He’ll be driven for his speed.

“It’s going to be tough for a few of these three-year-olds over 2650 (metres), interesting how that’s going to play out. There will still be a few charging forward early and how they get through at the end of the race will be interesting.

“(Narutac Prince) will be driven for speed and it’s just a pity he hasn’t drawn in a little bit closer.”

LISTEN TO DAVID AIKEN ON SEN TRACK’S TROTSLIFE: