DAVID Hayes yesterday predicted that Black Caviar's unbeaten run would come to an end at Moonee Valley on Saturday when she steps up to group 1 level for the first time, reports The Age.It says: Hayes said that last Saturday's racing at Caulfield confirmed his view that Lightning Stakes winner Nicconi will break the huge filly's impressive five-win sequence in the 1200-metre William Reid Stakes.''You saw in the Rubiton [Stakes] that it's a different matter when they [three-year-olds] get to open

DAVID Hayes yesterday predicted that Black Caviar's unbeaten run would come to an end at Moonee Valley on Saturday when she steps up to group 1 level for the first time, reports The Age.

It says: Hayes said that last Saturday's racing at Caulfield confirmed his view that Lightning Stakes winner Nicconi will break the huge filly's impressive five-win sequence in the 1200-metre William Reid Stakes.

''You saw in the Rubiton [Stakes] that it's a different matter when they [three-year-olds] get to open sprints, and I'm confident he'll be able to handle her,'' he said.

''She is very good of course and Peter Moody's stable is simply flying but this will be her biggest test, taking on the open sprinters at the top level. I know my horse has not taken a backward step so she'll need to call on everything she's got to hold him out.''

Hayes' three-year-old filly Irish Lights was most disappointing in her first test against the open sprinters in the Rubiton Stakes, as was Moody's filly Avenue, who was beaten for just the second time in six starts when she tired into fifth place.

But as smart as Avenue is, she is not rated in the class of Black Caviar, who has not been extended in her five wins.

Four-year-old Nicconi heads the list of mature-age sprinters following his mighty Lightning Stakes success at Flemington on January 30. Hayes said that Nicconi already has an affinity with Moonee Valley as his only defeat at the track came when a certainty beaten in last spring's Manikato Stakes.

Black Caviar has won both her starts at the Valley and last month easily handled Here De Angels, who won the Rubiton Stakes.

Hayes is planning to gang-tackle the $1 million Australian Cup (2000 metres) at Flemington on March 6 with as many as four runners, depending on how his class three-year-old Extra Zero performs against his own age in the group 2 Alister Clark Stakes over 1600 metres.