Caulfield trainer Henry Dwyer will spare Swampland from a trip to Sydney after deciding a race at Flemington was the right assignment for the in-form mare.
Swampland was an acceptor for Saturday's Clubs NSW Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill but the four-year-old will chase a hat trick of wins when she steps out in the Mark Young Handicap (1400m) at Flemington.
Dwyer said a wide gate and a previous failure in Sydney swayed him to run in at Flemington rather than Randwick.
"She just drew wide and she would have had to have gone back to last and the Flemington race looked a more suitable race so we'd thought we'd keep her at home," Dwyer said.
"Last time she went to Sydney, she didn't travel well and went no good so we thought she's in good form and is a better chance in that (Flemington) race so it all makes sense."
Dwyer said Swampland pulled up with a problem when unplaced at Flemington three runs back but the daughter of Redwood has bounced back with wins at Cranbourne and Flemington at her last two runs.
Swampland over-ran handy filly Moonlites Choice to get home narrowly in three-year-old fillies' company on July 22 but Dwyer said the winner of three of 10 starts was an improving type.
"She's in good order and had a little freshen up after that race at Flemington when she went no good but she had a little internal bleed in that race and she was really disappointing," Dwyer said.
"We gave her two weeks in the paddock then and we brought her back and I thought she'd need to run at Cranbourne when she won but she did a good job.
"She went to Flemington and went well there so she's still on the improve. The 1400m Saturday is ideal and we've kept her fresh for that."
Swampland is a $4.60 chance with most betting agencies, who have the Lindsay Park runner Samovare as short as $2 to break her Melbourne duck in Saturday's $120,000 race.
Regan Bayliss will ride Swampland while Jake Bayliss will be aboard Dwyer's other runner Tavi Bay in the Mark Young Handicap.
Tavi Bay ($21) won first-up at Flemington on Oaks day last year but Dwyer he would be surprised she repeated that effort on Saturday.
Tavi Bay is first-up and will probably need the run anyway because she'll be better over much further.
