Even if those nine drives are all favourites.
But that was the case for Shepparton reinsman Mark Pitt at the Launceston Pacing Cup meeting on Saturday, April 16.
Top Victorian trainer Emma Stewart had entrusted Pitt to drive nine of her 10 starters at the meeting.
Pitt delivered in shovels rather than spades, winning with all nine pacers.
‘‘I knew I had a lot of good drives but it never entered my head that they would all win,’’ Pitt said in summing up his Australasian and possible world record feat, all for the one trainer at the same meeting.
‘‘I didn’t think about it much until I had had about six or seven wins but you then start thinking that it probably can’t go on,’’ he said.
But it did.
Six of his winners were achieved with all-the-way wins, one came from the death seat, one from a one-one sit and one rounded up the field from last.
While industry pundits believe Pitt’s fabulous feat may never be beaten or equalled, winning is something he is not unfamiliar with.
He has a rich history in the harness racing game, raised in trotting heartland in the NSW Riverina at Leeton.
His grandfather Norm Diebert — a legend of the sport in that part of the world — still trains a team today, although he is nearly 80.
Pitt’s mother Leanne also drove for a time in her younger days and retired a winner to raise a family with her husband Ian.
They and some of their grandchildren were glued to the TV at their Leeton home on Saturday to watch the history-making feat unfold and, as hardened trots people, were naturally proud and well aware of the significance of what their son had achieved.
Pitt came to the Goulburn Valley in 2013 to work for Avenel trainer Wayne Potter and it didn’t take long for him to showcase his horsemanship and driving skills.
His first metropolitan winner was the Dave Farrar-trained Gangster Boy at Melton in July 2014.
Gangster Boy and Attackamac three months earlier had provided his first Victorian driving double at a meeting at Cobram.
But Pitt really put himself up in lights with a pacer he purchased, trained and owned called Shez All Rock.
A brilliant filly, Shez All Rock won the NSW and Victoria Oaks and Home Grown Classic in 2018 and, from only eight starts in Australia as a two-year-old and three-year-old, won seven races and more than $426,000 in stake money earnings.
She was named the Australian three-year-old female Pacer of the Year as a three-year-old before going on to more feature wins under premier New Zealand trainer Mark Purdon after being sold.
Considerable time away from the game due to suspension didn’t dampen Pitt’s thirst for the sport or obviously his exquisite driving skills.
Since his return to the sulky in February this year he has already driven 42 winners, many of these for premier trainer Stewart.
He has just returned to the training ranks and is preparing a small team with his partner Lisa Bartley at the Steve O’Donoghue training complex at Kialla.
On Monday night, Pitt’s parents, fellow drivers, trainers and close friends gathered at Kialla’s Peppermill Inn at a function organised by Dave Farrar to acknowledge and salute his fabulous feat at Launceston.
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