It was a race that just about everyone on course, and for that matter everyone around Australia, wanted to see Craig Newitt win on Light Fantastic - but this time there was no fairytale ending.Just as the grey looked the winner, the David Hayes-trained Niconero came out from behind him and wore him down to score by a half-neck with Light Fantastic's stablemate Alamosa another half-neck away third.Newitt's father, Guy, was killed in a car accident at 7am (AEDT) on Saturday but the jockey didn't f

It was a race that just about everyone on course, and for that matter everyone around Australia, wanted to see Craig Newitt win on Light Fantastic - but this time there was no fairytale ending.

Just as the grey looked the winner, the David Hayes-trained Niconero came out from behind him and wore him down to score by a half-neck with Light Fantastic's stablemate Alamosa another half-neck away third.

Newitt's father, Guy, was killed in a car accident at 7am (AEDT) on Saturday but the jockey didn't find out until midway through the Caulfield meeting when his mother and sister tearfully informed him at the track.

Newitt insisted on continuing riding and after doctors and stewards spoke with him he was cleared to ride Light Fantastic in the Group One weight-for-age feature, the first leg of the Asian Mile Challenge.

Stewards put the race back 25 minutes.

"He was determined to ride the horse. He's comfortable, he's composed and the stewards are comfortable with that," Light Fantastic's owner-breeder Bob Scarborough said.

David Hayes was happy that Niconero had become the first horse since Manikato to win back-to-back Futurity Stakes.

The great Manikato won the Futurity in 1979-80-81, was runner-up to Galleon in 1982 and won it again in 1983.

"It was a bit like Ollie when he won the Melbourne Cup," Hayes said, referring to when champion jockey Damien Oliver won the 2002 Melbourne Cup on Media Puzzle days after his brother Jason died from injuries suffered in a fall in a Perth barrier trial.

"It's very sad for Craig. It would have been a great moment in racing if he had got up, but if something had to beat him we were happy it was us.

"He would have been unlucky to lose. He was boxed in at a vital stage but jumped out of the ground."

Hayes said Niconero, now a four-time Group One winner, would back up in next Saturday's $1 million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington.

"He's been a wonderful horse, but we have confiscated his passport," he said, referring to the Danzero gelding's failure in the Dubai Duty Free (1777m) last year.

"We were happy The Hussler (Weekend Hussler) wasn't in the race as he's a bit better than him."

Newitt spoke briefly to the media after the race about Light Fantastic's run.

"He travelled well and I thought he had it won at the 50 metres, but he got beat a stride before the line," he said.

"He's genuine but a mile (1600m) is as far as he wants."

Craig Williams, who also rode Niconero to victory in last year's Futurity, said the seven-year-old "got into his rhythm and won it easily".

"It was a tougher field this year. He's a true professional, he's a great horse," he said.

Hayes has won the race four times having also scored with Primacy in 1994 and Fields Of Omagh in 2006.