River Lad thrives with special treatment as he adds Listed Bribie Handicap to resume River Lad, ridden by Eddie Wilkinson, salutes at Eagle Farm. Picture: Darren England Source: The Sunday Mail (Qld) NATALIE McCall admits River Lad gets special treatment at her Sunshine Coast stables, but the spoilt routine is clearly working a treat, with the Listed Bribie Handicap the latest rich pickings. River Lad joined McCall after four starts, one of which included an inglorious seventh in an Eidsvold maiden, but he's a horse that has just kept getting better with time. A surprise winner of the Group 3 Healy Stakes at last year's Winter Carnival, River Lad has fully franked that win this time in, winning the Gold Coast Stakes two weeks ago before adding yesterday's Listed feature. He's my friend. We do everything together. I ride him in all of his work. He's spoilt, but he deserves it," McCall said. Yesterday's win was his 10th and took his earnings beyond the $500,000 mark. He hasn't always been the easiest horse to train but with the help of chiropractor Michael Bryant the five-year-old has blossomed this time in. Bryant, who has worked with Black Caviar throughout her career, suggested a water walker to ease stress on the gelding's troublesome back and he regularly visits McCall's stables to work on him. This is his best prep by far. He's been on the water walker this time and it's working a treat," McCall said. He's always had a bad back but Michael comes up to the stable all the time and we've had no trouble at all this time. Most of his work is done on the water walker. He does a lot of slow work but hardly ever has a gallop. Jockey Eddie Wilkinson feared he had found the front too soon on River Lad, especially when Metallurgical swept up alongside him. "He star gazed a bit when I got there too soon but he really dug deep when I asked him for the ultimate effort," Wilkinson said. Equal favourite Signified just held third from the unlucky Steel Zip. The other equal favourite Adebisi wilted badly in the home straight to finish 15th, justifying trainer Desleigh Forster's fears that the 59.5kg would bring him undone. FORMER Golden Slipper-winning trainer Bruce Brown will not be afraid to test Black Magic in better races during the carnival after she made it back-to-back wins in the Fillies and Mares Class 6. "She relaxed beautifully on the track this week and then came home her last 400m in times that only good horses can run," Brown said. I think she's capable of running a mile.