Victorian husband-and-wife team Lisa and Mark Pitt are daring to dream big ahead of Saturday night’s (August 16) $150,000 Group 1 QBred Triad for two-year-old pacing fillies at Brisbane’s Albion Park.

Their precocious filly Ride The Highs has drawn perfectly in barrier three to give the couple a dream shot at their biggest shared success.

“She is a very quick beginner and hopefully from that barrier she will be in front and hard to catch,” Lisa said.

Mark, a 30-time Group 1 winning reinsman and one of several top drivers for the powerhouse Emma Stewart stable, has had plenty of career highlights. But for Lisa, now in her fourth season as a trainer, this is a career-defining moment.

Ride The Highs was an eye-catching winner of her QBred Triad Heat on August 6, spearing to the lead from barrier six and leaving her rivals in her wake with a 10-metre win in 1:55.1 over 1660 metres – the fastest of the qualifiers.

In just five starts before her Queensland mission, she had already been second in the Group 1 APG Melbourne Sales Graduate Series and notched two dominant wins at Shepparton.

“I saw her photo from the Gold Coast APG yearling sales and showed Mark and we both loved the look of her,” Lisa said.

As the first foal of unraced mare Gleniss Mama, and the only Ride High foal in the catalogue, she ticked all the boxes for the couple because of Mark’s connection with the sire, who raced only 18 times in his career for 16 wins.

With major stable supporter Mick Boots and Mark’s aunty Del Cope also keen, they secured her for what they felt was great value, outlaying $20,000 in the 2024 Gold Coast Sale.

“Mick has been our greatest supporter, and we can’t thank him enough, and it’s lovely to have a nice one for Del – she’s been buying at yearling sales forever but never had a really good one,” Lisa said.

From the moment she stepped into the Pitt stable, Ride The Highs was a natural pacer with innate ability – and a fiery streak.

“She’s got more than her fair share of sass! She kicks, she bites, she squeals, and she tries to kick Mark out of the cart fairly often,” Lisa laughed.

It was decided that Mark would accompany the filly to Queensland and stay with her right through to the final.

“She’s just too difficult to leave with anyone else. Mark’s job this week has been to keep her happy – which is not always easy!” Lisa said.

Thirty-year-old Lisa has an impressive career winning strike rate of 26 percent, and has prepared 19 winners and 24 placings from just 73 starters this season. In addition to his driving record of over 1000 winners, Mark’s training resume includes Group 1 victories in the NSW and Victorian Oaks with Shez All Rock.

While Mark took the road-trip to Brisbane, Lisa has continued training the couple’s team of around 10 at home near Shepparton before heading to Brisbane tomorrow with the couple’s two young children Lily and Jax.

“Mark says she’s jumping out of her skin. She’s been really good this week and has come through the qualifying heat well,” she said.

“I can’t quite believe it – the only runner I’ve had in a Group 1 was Chynchilla, in my first year of training, who made the VicBred and Oaks finals. This is such a big thrill – and hopefully she will give us something to cheer about!” she said.