Angry owners and trainers stormed out of the Victoria Racing Club committee room after their horses were dumped from next Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.

The VRC committee used its controversial discretionary powers to remove one qualified runner and promote the Queensland horse Another Warrior into the field for the $4.6 million race.

For Perth trainer Alan Mathews the committee's decision was particularly hard to take.

Mathews had qualified Free At Last in the final place in the 24-horse field.

But Free At Last was eliminated and the less qualified Another Warrior was promoted into the field.

Mathews said he was devastated at the decision but vowed to stay in Melbourne to run in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on the final day of the Flemington carnival.

"We'll stay for the Queen Elizabeth and if the horse wins they can jam their trophy," Mathews said.

Mathews, who has trained six Perth Cup winners, said he had set Free At Last for the Melbourne Cup and had deliberately had him short of his peak in lead-up runs.

"They've got no imagination," he said.

"Trainers train their horses to run two miles on the day, not before."

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