GUIDE patch in wrong plot

In a guide with multiple plots a patch shall be placed in one of them (2nd).

Sometimes it is forwarded to the wrong plot. This behaviour seems random.

plot(handles.plot1, x1, y1)
plot(handles.plot2, x2, y2)
patch('XData', x2data, 'YData', y2data, 'red')
set(gca,'children',flipud(get(gca,'children')))
plot(handles.plot3, x3, y3)

Is there a way to link the patch to a plot - possibly with a handle?

Answer 1

[dpb]

doc patch

Syntax
patch(X,Y,C)
patch(X,Y,Z,C)
...
patch(ax,___)

...

patch(ax,___) creates the patch in the axes specified by ax instead of in the 
current axes (gca). The option ax can precede any of the input argument 
combinations in the previous syntaxes.
...