Grahame Begg is hoping the decision to bypass a Group 1 race in Sydney will pay a dividend at Flemington.

Lightly raced filly Ruska Roma will take another step on the path to a Group 1 assignment when she lines-up at Flemington. 

The Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 18 is on the agenda for Ruska Roma who will line up for just the fourth time in her brief career in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) on Saturday. 

Begg had considered taking a trip to Sydney with Ruska Roma for the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday but decided to remain on home soil. 

"I had her entered in the Flight Stakes, but we're staying in our lane down here," Grahame Begg said. 

Ruska Roma had one start as a two-year-old in a maiden contest at Pakenham before being spelled and resumed with a win on heavy ground at Seymour on August 31. 

Begg headed straight to Stakes company after that run, with Ruska Roma finishing sixth behind Yum in the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 20. 

Ruska Roma struck trouble on the home turn on that occasion before picking herself up and finding the line well. 

Begg expects Ruska Roma to be well suited on Saturday against just nine opponents and also with the rise in distance. 

"She's very well suited," Begg said. 

"She found plenty of trouble in that race and she wasn't suited by the pace of the race because Gai's filly The Playwright went out and dragged everything out," Begg said. 

"She has never been in that situation before and then the winner came out underneath her neck on the home turn. 

"The last 150 metres was good once she worked out what it was all about and the extra distance on Saturday will be a plus." 

Jordan Childs, who has been aboard the filly in all three runs to date, again has the ride on Saturday.