Tennis Ball lowered a 9yr-old track record when he won the Green Mile in 1.57.1 at Methven yesterday.
He bettered the record of 1.57.8 set by Bruzem in the 2001 Green Mile.
The win continued a big season for owner Cavalla Bloodstock (Robert Famularo) and trainer Brendon Hill. They won the New Zealand Cup and Free-For-All last month with Monkey King and the Ladyship Stakes in Auckland with Carabella on Friday night.
The stable has won 10 races and $651,000 in stakes this season. Ricky May has driven most of the winners. He also won the Green Mile last year with Second Wind.
Tennis Ball came with the last run to beat Franco Emirate by a nose with half a head to Franco Jamar.
Franco Emirate raced outside the pacemaker, Indy Village.
• Mike Evans had his first win as reinsman and David Pfahlert and David Thomas their first wins as trainers yesterday.
Evans drove Game As Ned Kelly for his employer, Paul Nairn. Game As Ned Kelly is by Wagon Apollo, who included the 1996 Rowe Cup among his 38 wins.
Game As Ned Kelly, owned by Helen Pope and Graham Nairn, is the first foal of Time Of Reckoning, who won three races.
Pfahlert, from Ashburton, prepares Tarport Spirit who cleared maiden ranks in race 8.
Thomas who trains at Dromore, produced Its Beyond Belief to win race 6 for non-winners.
• Im Themightyquinn won the group one $A100,000 Cranbourne Cup on Saturday night. Im Themightyquinn rated 1.57.4 for the 2555 (mobile). Villagem and Smoken Up filled the minor placings.
Im Themightyquinn (Washington VC-Love Sign) was bred by Bill Kennedy, of Bayswater. Sundon's Gift won the Bill Collins Mile in 1.59.2.
• Speculate, who has not raced since November last year, won a workout at Rangiora on Saturday. She won the 2009 New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All.
Captain Peacock and Louie Cullen, both in new preparations, won workouts at Motukarara.
• Blacks A Fake was within 0.2sec of the 2138m track record when he won at Albion Park in a 1.55.2 mile rate on Saturday night. He heads to the $A425,000 Victoria Cup on Saturday night.
