STAR sprinter Nicconi booked a ticket to Royal Ascot with a brilliant win in the $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Lightning Stakes, 1000m, at Flemington on Saturday.

Aided by a perfectly-judged Damien Oliver ride, the David Hayes-trained Nicconi, $5, finished strongly for Damien Oliver to snatch victory from Wanted, $9, by a long head to earn a start in the King Stand Stakes. Sydneysider Shellscrape, $9, was a game third.

“To see him beat the best like that was terrific,” Hayes said. “It was as good a Lightning as we have seen in the last three or four years. It’s a proven path to Royal Ascot. For a long time, I really have said he’s the best sprinter I have trained.

“He is undefeated fresh and he put his best foot forward. I was always a bit worried after the Patinack failure with him losing his shoes but it was a genuine excuse He’s a dual weight-for-age Group 1 winner now, so that’s fantastic.

“It is as good as the other Lightning’s in the last three or four years and it is a definite path to overseas and I have always said he is the best sprinter I have trained.

“He is Niconero’s brother and I think there are five Black Type winners in the first dam, so he is a blueblood that can run and there aren’t many of those colts in Australia.:

Hayes plans to give Niconero one more start during the Festival of Racing in Melbourne – either the G1 William Reid, 1200m, at Moonee Valley or the VRC Newmarket, 1200m, at Flemington.

Oliver, who is keen to partner Nicconi in England, said: “He has a great turn of foot. I switched him off early and I commented to David that this race is often won by the big finisher in the last 100m, so it is nice when a plan comes off.

“I would love to see what he ran his last 600m in because he peeled off some pretty quick sectionals and finished off full of running.

“He definitely feels like he can run a quick sectional, so he is up there with the best, kept fresh and the short course he has a great turn of foot. I think he will be a King Stand horse for sure.”

Nicconi has now won six of his 13 starts for stakes close to $1 million. The prospect of a possible clash with the brilliant Black Caviar in the William Reid is mouth-watering for fans of the Festival of Racing.

Trainer Peter Moody was delighted with the effort of his three runners with Wanted, Headway and Duporth all finishing in the first six.

“They all ran super races but it’s disappointing to be so close with Wanted,” Moody said. “I’m not sure where they’ll all go next but each will improve a fair bit out of this.”

Jockey Brad Rawiller said: “I thought I had it until the last two strides.”

Danny Nikolic felt Starspangled had run out of steam but pointed out that in the past first-up performances had not been his best. It was obvious listening to the connections after the race there was some criticism that the horse did not lead Burdekin Blues.

What the jockeys’ said:

Corey Brown (Shellscrape, 3^rd): “He went super. I tried to get him on the back of Nicconi but the winner went too fast.”

Danny Nikolic (Starspangled, 4^th): “I didn’t want to expose him too early. When I asked him for an effort, there wasn’t enough there.”

Luke Nolen (Headway, 5^th): “I thought when she went through the field she was going to explode but she only battled when clear.”.

Steve Arnold (Duporth, 6^th): “He went well. He’ll be better off in a 1200m race where he can work his way into it in the first half.”