Northern rivers trainer Stephen Lee has driven his horse Spiral through floods to get him to Doomben and victory.

Lee is based at Ballina and took a truck to get Spiral to Brisbane rather than the usual float after being told it would not get them there.

"We had to beat the tide to get out of Ballina and then we ran into floodwaters," he said.

"We got to Chinderah (near the Queensland border) and the road was flooded but I got on the CB radio and they told me to follow another truck through," Lee said.

"We got through just in time to head here. Now we have to beat the tide to get home."

Spiral ($6), a former Victorian gelding that had run four placings from four starts for Lee, showed his liking for wet tracks by winning the Class 3 Plate (1615m).

"We bought him to have a bit of fun in the bush but he has developed into a Saturday horse," Lee said.

He said his thoughts were with the people of northern NSW, who had been battered by torrential rain and flooding this week.

"We missed a lot of it at Ballina but Murwillumbah and Lismore really copped it. I rang Matt Dunn, who trains at Murwillumbah, and offered him some stables to help with his horses," Lee said.

"I hope I can help."