Paul Snowden is hoping a plan to have Launay near his peak early in the campaign will be rewarded with a stakes win at Flemington on Saturday.

The assistant trainer said Launay had been targeted at Listed races such as the Hareeba Stakes at Mornington and Saturday's TAB Stakes at Flemington with the hope of striking early in his preparation.

Launay was narrowly denied when resuming at Mornington but gets the chance to go one better stepping up to 1400m.

"He was quite forward first-up and ran super," Snowden, who is the Melbourne stable foreman for his father Peter, said.

"We thought we'd aim up here because he likes Flemington and likes 1400 metres. He's very forward and very fit. And if there was a bit of sting out of the track it wouldn't harm him."

Launay has won four of his six starts and Flemington including three of five over the 1400m journey.

His rivals include the Mick Price-trained Callanish and another Flemington specialist in British General.

Callanish suffered the first defeat of his career when he stepped out in Group One company and came in eight in the C F Orr Stakes first-up.

He is favourite to bounce back at Flemington in lesser grade while Launay and British General share the second line of betting.

British General is unbeaten in three starts at Flemington which came in a row during the summer.

He was unable to replicate that form when he went to Caulfield last start was was unplaced as favourite in the Listed John Dillon Stakes.

Snowden said there wasn't a lot of suitable options around for Launay after Saturday.

"It gets a bit sticky after this so that's why we've had him pretty forward for the first two," Snowden said.