Danny O'Brien has all but settled on the Lightning Stakes as the first autumn Group One assignment for three-year-old Shamexpress - not that he's expecting to win it.

The race on February 16 fits in to the trainer's schedule for Shamexpress but also fits in with Peter Moody's plans for Black Caviar's return.

"We'll probably run him in the Lightning," O'Brien said.

"We're obviously going around for second but it just fits perfectly for the Newmarket."

Shamexpress had little trouble dispatching his rivals first-up at Moonee Valley on Friday night in a stepping stone to the autumn feature sprints.

O'Brien said his other option was the Oakleigh Plate with the Group One Newmarket Handicap on March 9 the target for the three-year-old.

"The Newmarket is the race we think he can win," O'Brien said.

"He'll have 50 kilos.

"Hopefully he can run a place behind Black Caviar (in the Lightning) and if he does that he's going to go into the Newmarket as one of the best hopes."

Black Caviar will have a public gallop at Caulfield on Saturday ahead of her return in the Lightning which has been renamed this year in her honour.

O'Brien said Shamexpress had pulled up super from his soft Moonee Valley win in restricted company.

"We're pretty excited about him. He's just a big beast of a three-year-old and he can gallop," he said.

O'Brien trained Group One winning sprinter Star Witness who won major races as a two and three-year-old before heading to England and being placed twice at Royal Ascot as a late three-year-old in 2011.

So he has a good colt to measure Shamexpress against as he plots his autumn carnival mission.

"Star Witness was a very good, precocious young horse," O'Brien said.

"He won the Blue Diamond as a two-year-old and backed up and won the Coolmore as a spring three-year-old.

"I don't know whether he made much improvement after that. But having said all that he ran second in the King's Stand Stakes and third in the Golden Jubilee and was unlucky both times.

"This horse (Shamexpress) has still probably got that improvement in him, but he's got to do it. Star Witness had won two Group Ones by this stage and this horse has only placed in one.

"(But) I think he's a pretty smart horse."