River Lad is poised to give trainer Natalie McCall her first runner in a Stradbroke Handicap after his gutsy win in the BRC Sprint at Doomben.

River Lad ($9.50) outlasted Benny's Buttons ($5.50) to win Saturday's Group Three race by a long head with Fire Up Fifi ($9.50) three lengths away third.

McCall, who trains a team of horses at the Sunshine Coast, has never previously had a runner in a Group One race.

She has always had the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 7 as River Lad's winter carnival goal.

"He's nominated for the Doomben 10,000 next week but our plan all along has been to try and get him into the Stradbroke and we've achieved that by winning this race," McCall said.

"I like to space his runs with three weeks between races so why change now?"

River Lad beat only one runner home at his lead-up run in the Victory Stakes but McCall dismissed that performance as a reliable indicator of his form.

"It was a total forgive run," she said.

"He was in a pig of a mood before the race then copped a whack with a big clod in running and the next day he was sporting a big black eye.

"We just put a line through that run and set our sights on getting him back on track for the Stradbroke."

Tim Bell took River Lad straight to the lead and the gelding defied a spirited challenge from Benny's Buttons in the straight.

"He's the type of horse that goes best when you can nurse him for as long as possible without getting stuck into him," Bell said.

"Benny's Buttons got a head in front of me at one stage but to my bloke's credit he still had the confidence to kick back and he won on pure toughness and strength."

Fire Up Fifi resurrected her flagging winter carnival campaign with an improved effort to finish third after trainer Robert Heathcote put blinkers on the mare for the first time.

By contrast, stablemate Solzhenitsyn finished a tailed-off last at only his second start following a throat operation to correct a breathing problem.