NOEL Doyle has welcomed the chance to have another tilt at the Stradbroke Handicap, 23 years on from the most heartbreaking defeat of his training career.

Racing Queensland handicapper Nathan Bourke yesterday tossed Doyle and Celtic Dancer's connections a Stradbroke start by allotting him a 0.5kg penalty for winning the QTC Cup last Saturday.

It took him to 19th in the order of entry, and with Neeson a confirmed non-runner, he is assured of a start.

"It's been quite a while since I had a runner in the race," Doyle said.

"You don't get these chances very often.

"He deserves his chance. Naturally we would like to see it rain a bit more."

Doyle's Don't Play was thought by most, including racecaller Wayne Wilson who still blushes at any mention of the race, to have beaten Bart Cummings' Robian Steel in the 1989 Stradbroke, but the judge saw it differently.

"It was very disappointing, that's for sure," Doyle says.

"If you speak to Brian York, he still claims he won it. In fact, the only person on the whole race course that day who didn't think we won was the judge."

Doyle has no concerns about the seven-day back-up and is looking forward to Celtic Dancer running in the $1 million sprint.

Celtic Dancer's inclusion means Mental is likely to come up third emergency. If Red Tracer does not run, Listen Son will secure the final place.

Bourke said it was a straight forward decision to give Celtic Dancer a penalty.