The comeback of 2008 Emirates Melbourne Cup runner-up Bauer is progressing well as connections look to erase the heartache of their narrow defeat in this year’s historic 150th edition of the race at Flemington.

The diminutive UK stayer has recovered from a tendon injury and is set to resume ‘serious' race gallops in the next month reports high profile part-owner Simon O'Donnell.

“The scans have all been clean which is pleasing and the horse has been in work a long time now with the intention of coming back to Melbourne for this year's Cup,” O'Donnell explained.

“He's built up from walking to cantering and trotting and will start his serious race gallops in July.

“The intention is to give him two or three runs in Europe and assuming all goes well and the horse pleases Luca (Cumani, trainer) then he'll be headed back to Melbourne.”

Bauer emerged from a crop of more highly fancied international raiders in 2008 to win the Geelong Cup before failing by a short-half-head to run down Viewed in an epic Melbourne Cup.

“He was one of those imports that improved out of sight when he got to this hemisphere,” O'Donnell explained. “He grew in stature from the minute he arrived, he loved the firm ground and the (Melbourne) Cup was run in a manner that year that suited him.”

The Luca Cumani-trained Bauer is one of four European horses that O'Donnell and Terry Henderson's OTI Racing is preparing for a tilt at this year's Spring Racing Carnival and ultimately the $6m Melbourne Cup (3200m) on 2 November.

Cumani is also preparing the highly promising Manighar and French mare Becqu Adoree for the Victorian-based owners, whilst trainer Alan Swinbank has Standstill on the Cup path for them too.

Manighar, a grey like Bauer, made a promising debut for Cumani and OTI Racing at Goodwood (UK) on 4 June when finishing second to Holberg in the Listed WHEB Group Stakes (2000m).

Holberg, who was debuting for Godolphin after creating a great impression in his three-year-old campaign last year, is another possible Cups contender.

“We were particularly pleased with his debut run,” O'Donnell said of Manighar. “We were pleased to see him running so well on good ground because it was the one box he hadn't ticked.

“The run the other night gave us a lot of confidence that he has the qualities to be a Cups horse if he continues in the right direction.”

Manighar will have another couple of runs in the UK before travelling to Melbourne for the spring, likewise Becqu Adoree who has performed well at a mile-and-half in Group races, but did disappoint on debut for the Cumani stable recently.

“She was not as bright as we'd hoped, but she played up in the gates beforehand and has come on since then,” O'Donnell explained. “We're expecting an improved showing next time out.”

Standstill is a “hard knocking type” in the mould of former OTI import and three-time Melbourne Cup runner Hugs Dancer according to O'Donnell.

The horse is not yet qualified for the Emirates Melbourne Cup, but connections have mapped out a program aimed at doing so over the next month. It begins with the Northumberland Plate at Newcastle (UK) on 26 June.