The closest Persan came to a third start in the Grade 1 Melbourne Cup in early November was a fourth-place finish in a key October prep. Whether Persan develops into a contender for the 2023 Melbourne Cup will not be known for several months. An immediate goal is the $136,100 Bagot Handicap at 1 3/4 miles at Flemington on Saturday. Persan was fifth in the 2020 Melbourne Cup and 20th in 2021. Persan was the 2-1 favorite in early betting on Friday to win for the ninth time in his 37th start when he faces 11 rivals in the Bagot Handicap. Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, who won the Melbourne Cup earlier this year with Gold Trip, Persan is the 133-pound topweight on the strength of his lifetime record and a win in the JRA Trophy at 1 5/8 miles at Flemington on Dec. 17.  :: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing The win ended a 14-race losing streak for Persan, since he won a handicap at about 1 1/4 miles at Moonee Valley in March 2021. Person was third in two Group 2 stakes in October and November. A 6-year-old gelding, Persan is a true stayer, often racing near the front throughout in marathon races. He has eight wins in 36 starts. Sound, a 10-year-old German-bred, tends to run from a tracking position, and should be well placed in the Bagot Handicap should Persan be unable to sustain his advantage. Sound, a winner of 9 of 54 starts, was 18th in the 2018 Melbourne Cup and 12th in 2019. Sound is winless in nine starts since winning the Group 2 Sandown Classic at 1 1/2 miles at Caulfield Racecourse in October 2021. More recently, Sound was fifth in the same race on Nov. 26 when it was run at Sandown Racecourse and fourth of 10 in the Pakenham Classic at 1 9/16 miles at Pakenham Racecourse on Dec. 3. Other prominent runners in the Bagot Handicap are Regal Lion, a closer who was third in the Christmas Stakes at Royal Randwick on Dec. 10, and Nobel Heights, who was second in the Pakenham Cup and JRA Trophy. The Bagot Handicap is the seventh race on an eight-race program that begins at 9:10 p.m. Eastern or 6:10 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.