Premier Kembla Grange trainer Gwenda Markwell will push on with plans for the Melbourne Cup with Angel of Truth, following the disappointment of finishing back in the field in Saturday's Caulfield Cup.
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Markwell has stayed in Melbourne to personally oversee the four-year-old gelding's preparations, with Luke Currie in the frame to take the ride for Australia's most famous race on November 5.
With Dean Yendall aboard for the Caulfield Cup, Angel Of Truth sat outside leader Wolfe, but then dropped back to sit behind Hartnell in the early stages.
Any plans to make it a true staying test with a mid-race move were ruined when Rostropovich, who ran in last year's Melbourne Cup, pushed up three-wide around the field.
From there, Angel Of Truth was shuffled back through the field, before battling on for 15th.
"Probably a forget run. He ran good late," Yendall said post-race.
"I thought I was finding (following) the right horse in the run but he never took me anywhere.
"Then a few went around him and ended up in an awful spot."
However, it hasn't deterred the Markwell camp from aiming at the Melbourne Cup.
A stable representative confirmed the horse had pulled up well from the race and they believe he will relish the 3200m trip.
Angel Of Truth is 14th in the Melbourne Cup order-of-entry with 53.5 kilograms, his spot in the field gained from winning the Australian Derby in April.
The Caulfield Cup result has seen Angel Of Truth slide to $151 on fixed odds for the Melbourne Cup, however, the Markwell team remain confident of being competitive if Nolen can find the lead.
Angel Of Truth also failed to find the front in the Group 2 Hill Stakes at Randwick, fading to finish last of eight after sitting off eventual runner-up Samadoubt.
Owner Ross Williams had signalled his intention to run in the Melbourne Cup when speaking to the Mercury before the Hill Stakes.
Angel Of Truth presents as Kembla Grange's first Melbourne Cup hope since the late Bede Murray's Universal Prince was scratched on the morning of the race when favourite back in 2001.
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Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
