Tony McEvoy is optimistic Mouro can bounce back from his last-start failure when he returns to Victorian racing in a Listed feature at Sandown.

The six-year-old has been installed joint favourite in first markets for Friday's Lord Stakes (1600m).

The multiple stakes winner was runner-up when he resumed at Rosehill last month but then made little impression when unplaced as one of the fancied runners in the Listed Festival Stakes.

McEvoy shelved plans to run Mouro in the Group Two Villiers at Randwick after that failure and instead opted for the Listed Brisbane Handicap in Queensland on the same day.

However, the trainer also had to scrap those plans after a minor hiccup.

"I was disappointed with his last run so I'm looking for an improved performance," McEvoy said.

"I was going to take him up to Brisbane and he got a bit of mucus in his airway so I had to treat him and had to scratch him from that race.

"He seems fine now and has got the all-clear from the vets. This was the next suitable race for him."

Nick Hall takes the ride on Mouro who has top weight of 60kg in the field of 12 which has been reduced by one after the scratching of Full Hand.

Hall won last year's Sale Cup on Mouro over the same distance in his only other ride on the six-year-old.

Mouro, who has drawn barrier five, has won the past three times he has raced in Victoria.

His Sale Cup win in October 2013 was followed by victory in the Group Three Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at the end of that year's spring carnival.

The son of Grand Slam resumed in the autumn with a Group Three win at Flemington before unplaced finishes in his three autumn starts in Sydney.

"I'm happy with the horse. He seems fine. And he's a good horse," McEvoy said.

"I'm hopeful he can bounce back."

Mouro shared favouritism with the Mick Price-trained Mighty Like at $4.60 on Tuesday while last-start Flemington winner Backstedt is the only other runner under figures at $6.