Australia: Doola Teela gets better position in Monday handicap

Poor post positions and wide trips have cost the Australian filly Doola Teela in recent starts.

As far as the draw goes, Doola Teela appears better positioned when she starts from post 3 in a field of nine in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Goulburn Racecourse in Australia on Monday evening.

Doola Teela has finished seventh in her last two starts – a seven-furlong handicap at Warwick Farm on April 10 when she started from the outside in a field of 12, and a handicap at 6 3/4 furlongs at Wyong on April 27 when she started from post 11 in a field of 12 and was wide throughout.

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Doola Teela was beaten slightly more than five lengths at Wyong. Trained by Gary Nickson, Doola Teela has won 2 of 16 starts, including a seven-furlong maiden race at Goulburn in her 11th career start on Jan. 23.

Jockey Jeff Penza rode Doola Teela in that win and regains the mount, replacing Alysha Collett. Collett is riding the Goulburn program on Monday evening, but does not have a mount in the same race as Doola Teela, who tends to run as a stalker.

Doola Teela followed her win at Goulburn with a win in a seven-furlong handicap at Orange on Feb. 27. She has been beaten in her last four starts.

For the upcoming race at Goulburn, Doola Teela was the 6-1 third choice in early betting as of Sunday behind Lonrioli (7-5) and Celestial Doll (3-1).

Doola Teela races as a stalker, and will have a tough target in the lightly raced Lonrioli, who has won 2 of 6 starts.

Lonrioli tends to lead or dispute the pace. A 3-year-old filly, she won her 2023 debut in a five-furlong handicap at Kembla Grange on April 4, racing near the front throughout. She was not as successful in a handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs at Warwick Farm on April 19, failing to make the lead before fading to finish 13th of 14.

Lonrioli led throughout a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Goulburn last September in her third start.

Celestial Doll, a winner of 5 of 24 starts, won a six-furlong handicap against lesser rivals at Sapphire Coast on April 24 from a stalking position, ending an 11-race losing streak since a handicap in January 2022.

Goulburn has a seven-race program beginning at 10:30 p.m. Eastern, or 7:30 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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