Stanhope harness racing driver Mark Pitt was an automatic choice to make my list of Freakish Sporting Feats with his performance of driving nine winners at a trots meeting in Launceston in 2022.

Incredible really when you consider a lot of reinspersons and in fact jockeys are quite content with one winner at a meeting.

And anyone involved in any racing code will tell you it’s a feat that may never be bettered or equalled.

Pitt had nine drives at that meeting for leading Victorian trainer Emma Stewart…and won them all.

One other outside drive he had at the meeting finished unplaced. But nine out of 10 is still a healthy percentage.

Pitt said he went to the meeting believing he might drive ‘‘a few winners’’ because he had ‘‘a good book of drives’’ but was pleasantly surprised with his haul at the conclusion of the meeting.

‘‘You just don’t expect to do anything like that but when you are on horses trained by Emma and Clayton (Tonkin, Emma’s partner) you are probably always a chance,’’ Pitt said.

Reflecting on his feat, Pitt admitted the pressure increased as his tally of winners grew.

‘‘After driving the first three winners I thought it might be possible to get another two or so because I had good drives but I can assure you I wasn’t quite prepared for another six (winners),“ he said.

‘‘It’s something I’ll probably never repeat in my time in the sulky but it was a good feeling I can tell you.“

While Stewart is renowned for her ability to turn out an endless supply of winners, particularly juvenile pacers, in her training career Pitt has also proved himself one of Australia’s best reinsmen.

Bred into a trotting family at Leeton in NSW - his grandfather is legendary Riverina horseman Normie Diebert Snr - and with a trainer wife in Lisa, Pitt has made his mark on the Victorian trots scene over the past 13 years.

He took the gamble to try his luck in Victoria, which had a booming trots industry at the time, and hasn’t regretted it.

He has had 971 career winners at the time of writing.

He has topped the Victorian metropolitan drivers' championship on two occasions and has driven 24 Group 1 winners.

That night in Launceston certainly gave a nice boost to his career number of winners in the sulky.

NEXT UP IN GUS UNDERWOOD’S FREAKISH SPORTING FEATS: Billy James (Football)

Billy James is a famous VFL/AFL one-gamer for Richmond who in 1920 was plucked in the week building up to the VFL premiership showdown from Kyabram to play in the VFL grand final against Collingwood.

It was a memorable game which escalated his name into footy folklore as he kicked the goal which gave the Tigers the lead in the dying stages of the game. He became the only player whose one and only game in the big time was in a premiership side.

– Read Gus Underwood’s take on James’ ‘Freakish Sporting Feat’ in next Friday’s Riv.

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Thursday, 20th February 2025

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