Wrongly Accused is Match Race Challenge bound after an impressive first look at Angle Park on Thursday night.

The reigning Group 1 National Sprint Championship winner stopped the clock at 30.17 seconds over the 530 metre journey, but it was his elite 12.53-second run home that caught the eye.

Co-trainer Michelle Nolan was delighted with the hit-out as the Victorian star prepares for his next South Australian assignment.

Wrongly Accused first look at Angle Park where he stopped the clock in a time of 30.17 over the 530 metres.

“We are really happy with the trial,” Nolan said.

The trip to Angle Park very nearly didn’t happen after the track was harrowed on Friday, prompting some uncertainty about whether the Nolans would make the journey across the border.

“We had South Australian trainers reach out to let us know that the track was fine to race on. It was great to be looked after in that sense,” Nolan said.

Wrongly Accused pulled up well from the trial, but the Nolan team has elected to bypass the SA Derby and instead target the Match Race Challenge at Angle Park on September 24.

Victory in the Match Race Challenge carries a significant reward, with the winner granted direct entry into the Group 1 Adelaide Cup, bypassing the heats.

The decision will also lighten the travel load for Wrongly Accused and trainer Justin Nolan during the Adelaide Cup campaign.

“He has travelled fine, but it’s a big ask of him and Justin to go up there four weeks in a row,” Nolan said.

Justin Nolan shared the South Australian trip with Victorian trainer Peter Presutto, who also had runners at Angle Park on Thursday night.

Presutto’s Steal The Show produced a strong performance to finish second in race three, while kennelmate Tipped Out finished third in race five.

Wrongly Accused will now have his sights firmly set on September 24 and the chance to secure a coveted direct passage into the Group 1 Adelaide Cup.