Snoopy did his spring prospects no harm with a determined first-up victory at Sandown on Wednesday.

But co-trainer Wayne Hawkes was doing his best to put the victory in The Cove Hotel Handicap (1300m) into perspective as the bigger three-year-old races emerge later in the spring.

Snoopy holds a nomination for the Caulfield Guineas and Cox Plate and Hawkes said there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before he's considered a chance in those two races.

Ridden by Dwayne Dunn, Snoopy ($1.90 fave) kept his record intact with a half-length victory over More Than Most ($4.20) with Patch Adams ($7) a short-neck away third.

Snoopy joins Rageese and Taaj as three-year-olds entered for the Cox Plate from the Hawkes stable.

"It was only $200 or whatever for the nomination, so I wouldn't be reading too much into that," Hawkes said.

"He's now two from two but getting to a Cox Plate is something different.

"I've got things nominated (in Caulfield Guineas) that I haven't even tried yet."

Hawkes said Snoopy has done a good job in remaining unbeaten and noted that it will get decidedly tougher for the colt going forward.

He said the stable could have run Snoopy in the Vain Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday but elected to kick him off in easier company.

"He can't do anything more than what he's done and he's now a winner at two and at three," he said.

Dunn said Snoopy did look vulnerable for a while in the run on Wednesday and will also get a great deal of benefit from the outing.

"The further he goes the better he'll get but I wouldn't put him in the A class just yet, but he's doing everything right," Dunn said.