David Hayes is keen to become the next Australian trainer to take centre stage at Royal Ascot with Nicconi and Irish Lights on trial for a trip to England in the Lightning Stakes.Hayes, who trying to win Saturday's Lightning Stakes for the first time in his own right as a trainer, believes he has two very good chances in the first leg of the 2010 Global Sprint Challenge."They will both have light autumns and are on trial for Royal Ascot," Hayes said."You couldn't declare anything in a race like

David Hayes is keen to become the next Australian trainer to take centre stage at Royal Ascot with Nicconi and Irish Lights on trial for a trip to England in the Lightning Stakes.

Hayes, who trying to win Saturday's Lightning Stakes for the first time in his own right as a trainer, believes he has two very good chances in the first leg of the 2010 Global Sprint Challenge.

"They will both have light autumns and are on trial for Royal Ascot," Hayes said.

"You couldn't declare anything in a race like the Lightning but I'm sure it will take a good horse to beat either of them.

"It's a pretty good field. It usually is as it comes at the right time at the right distance.

"It's becoming such an important race on our calendar I think it should be considered to be worth a lot more than $500,000.

"Outside the Melbourne Cup it's probably our most internationally significant race."

While Hayes hasn't won a Lightning as a trainer, he has fond memories of the former outstanding sprinting mare Special.

"I was in Special with my mother (Betty)," Hayes said.

Trained by his father Colin, Special won the 1988 Lightning in course record time of 55.5s which still stands.

Special was runner-up to Placid Ark in the 1987 Lightning and, at her last race start as a pregnant mare, she was runner-up to Zeditave in 1989.

Colin Hayes also won the race with two-year-old filly Desirable in 1976 and Sportscast in 1980, while David Hayes' older brother Peter won the event with Isca in 1999.

Hayes' two runners are already Group One winners, Irish Lights winning the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield in the spring while Nicconi won The Galaxy at Randwick last autumn.

Irish Lights hasn't raced since finishing 1-1/4 lengths fifth to Lightning rival Headway in the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day.

"She will sprint brilliantly fresh," Hayes said of the daughter of 2005 Lightning winner Fastnet Rock.

The filly thrashed the talented Avenue over 1100 metres down the Flemington straight course first-up last September.

Nicconi was spelled after the worst run of his career when last in the Patinack Farm Stakes won by All Silent on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival.

"I'm very confident Nicconi will run well but there's one little query, his last run down the straight," Hayes said.

"I know he threw a shoe but he ran very badly.

"He's got a good fresh record and his trackwork is extra good.

"He was brilliant first up in the spring winning the McEwen and second up he got too far back and then went too soon when third in the Manikato.

The Leon Corstens-trained Starspangedbanner has been heavily supported since markets opened and was into $3.80 on Friday afternoon.

Cannonball, who will become the first US-trained horse to race in Australia, is at $26.

Prepared by Wesley Ward, Cannonball was beaten a neck when runner-up to Art Connoisseur in the Golden Jubilee Stakes (1207m) at Royal Ascot last June.