Some people pay more for a pair of shoes than the price Merrick's Beauty fetched at auction.

Merrick's Beauty cost just $300 but the filly's form in her home state has drawn trainer Alana Fulton out of Tasmania to compete on the mainland for the first time at Saturday's Moonee Valley meeting.

Fulton combines training her four-horse team with her full-time job as a human resources manager in Longford.

She gave up training 20 years ago but a trip to the races regenerated her love of racing, prompting her to resume working with horses with the support of her husband and daughter.

"You get the bug don't you? Once it gets in your blood, it's always there," Fulton said.

"I went to the races one day and racing had changed to what it was 20 years ago and I thought I wouldn't mind getting back into this."

Stablemate Landstar and Merrick's Beauty have combined to give Fulton a 30 per cent strike rate this season and the latter has travelled well in her bid to give the trainer her first mainland winner in the Adapt Australia Handicap (1200m).

Fulton sent Merrick's Beauty to Melbourne by ferry on Wednesday night and the Happy Giggle filly has settled in well to her temporary lodgings at Caulfield.

"She hasn't left a skerrick of water or food since she got here so the trip hasn't affected her one bit," Fulton said.

Bookmakers have Merrick's Beauty as a $35 chance to beat the locals in her $80,000 assignment while drawing barrier 18 has hampered her task.

Merrick's Beauty will start from barrier 14 after scratchings but the tricky Moonee Valley circuit ensures jockey Anthony Darmanin will have plenty to do.

"There are couple that like to run up on the speed and they have drawn out wide so we might be able to take a cart across with them," Fulton said.

Merrick's Beauty will return to Tasmania on Wednesday but a Moonee Valley win would mean another trip to Melbourne to run in the Listed A R Creswick Final at Flemington on July 12.