The odds have firmed for Luca Cumani pair Mad Rush and Bauer to run in this year's Melbourne Cup.
Cumani has told Racing Victoria Limited both stayers would be set for the race.
Mad Rush, a last-start second in France last weekend, was also a chance to run in the Caulfield Cup on his way to the Melbourne Cup.
That was the path followed to Flemington by stablemate Purple Moon, who ran an unlucky sixth at Caulfield before running second to Efficient in last year's Melbourne Cup.
Bauer, part-owned by the OTI syndicate led by former Test cricketer Simon O'Donnell, will use the Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 22 as his lead-up for the famous race.
Media Puzzle completed the Geelong-Melbourne Cup double in 2002 while She's Archie ran second in both races a year later.
Connections of South African-trained stayer Mourilyan and English galloper Yellowstone, who ran third in a substitute Ebor Handicap, have also reaffirmed their interest in the Flemington race.
The powerful Aidan O'Brien yard won't have a runner in the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate but are still in the running for an assault on the Melbourne Cup.
RVL racing director Leigh Jordon said more would be known about which international runners would come after the release of Cup weights on September 3 and the deadline for first acceptances on September 9.
The pressure then for RVL would be finalising quarantine plans for any foreign-trained gallopers.
Biosecurity Australia confirmed earlier this week prospective Cup runners would have to face pre- and post-quarantine arrival periods of 14 and 21 days.
"Depending on if they're coming from a single quarantine facility they only have to do two weeks and go into a single quarantine facility," Jordon said.
"If they co-mingle they've got other horses from other quarantine facilities they might have to do three weeks, depends on when their flight arrangements are, when they're going to arrive and what we can actually fit them into."
"It makes the jigsaw puzzle a little bit more difficult."
The tougher quarantine regulations following last year's EI outbreak has already seen Japanese stayers ruled out of this year's Cup.