Got to keep the Mrs happy!

WITH all due respect to the other trainers and owners, Mark Pitt’s final victory was his most important win last night.

Enjoying a stellar time in Melton, Pitt finished the evening with a quintet, including a treble for premier horsewoman Emma Stewart and a win for astute trainer Allan McDonough.

Pitt’s successes for Stewart and McDonough were in Vicbred Super Series semis, setting the scene for another big night in next week’s Finals.

As for his fifth triumph on the card, Pitt scored with Vici Bloom, which is prepared by his wife, Lisa.

“I had to make sure I got that one home,” Pitt joked. “After driving four winners, if I missed with Lisa’s I would have been in trouble!”

After working to the lead from barrier five Vici Bloom was never in danger of defeat as she cruised to a five-and-a-half metre win from Nakedtruth, with Tictok nine metres away third.

Rating 1:58.7 over 2240 metres, the daughter of Orlando Vici is unbeaten from two starts since returning from a eight-month layoff.

“We were pretty confident with her as her work had been great,” Pitt said. “She is quite a nice mare, which has just been held back by so many niggling issues.

“If you look at her record since September 2024, this is only her third campaign as she has spent about 20 of those 24 months away from the races.

“It’s about managing her more than anything, and unless she’s feeling 100 per cent, we don’t push her…her wellbeing comes first.”

For the record, it is the eighth time Pitt has driven five or more winners at a meeting, with his haul including three quintets, four sextets and an Australian record nonet, which he achieved in Launceston on April 16, 2022.