Australia: The light bulb went off and Edison is on the verge of a winning streak

On two occasions in 2020, the Australian gelding Edison won consecutive races at prominent tracks in Sydney.

No such milestone was achieved in 2021, but the opportunity for a repeat win may occur for Edison in Friday’s Mildura Cup at tiny Mildura Racecourse in the Australian countryside.

Edison ended a nine-race losing streak with a win in a lucrative handicap at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne on July 9 and is rated as a leading contender in a field of 11 in the Mildura Cup at seven furlongs.

Trained by Nick Ryan, Edison, 5, has won 7 of 27 starts, including four races in 2020 when trained by Bjorn Baker. While the 2020 season was a success, Edison was winless in five starts last year and one race in January before he was switched to Ryan’s stable.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

Edison showed signs of renewed form in June, finishing third by slightly less than a length in a seven-furlong handicap at Flemington. He was last of 18 in the Winter Championship Stakes at 30-1 at Flemington on July 9.

A week later at Caulfield, Edison led throughout a seven-furlong handicap at 8-1.

In the Mildura Cup, Edison will carry 129 pounds, 7.6 pounds less than topweight and expected favorite Cherry Tortini. A four-time stakes winner, Cherry Tortini is winless in three starts since the Golden Mile Stakes at Bendigo Racecourse in April, but was third by three-quarters of a length in a seven-furlong handicap at Flemington on June 4.

Cherry Tortini was 3-1 in early betting on Wednesday, compared to 7-2 for Edison. Cherry Tortini tends to run as a closer, while Edison is more likely to set the pace or race from a tracking position.

The Mildura Cup will be a class test for My Boy Birmingham, who is likely to race near the front. My Boy Birmingham won for the fifth time in his 11th start in a seven-furlong handicap on the synthetic track at Ballarat Racecourse on June 24 as the 4-5 favorite.

Mildura has an eight-race program beginning at 10:05 p.m. Eastern or 7:05 p.m. Pacific on Thursday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.