The mingling at parties, the fashion frocks and frantic bets, the roar of the crowd as the horses charge past the winning post - but it's the quieter moments that are enjoyed most by the hard working trainers in the lead-up to the Amateurs.

Cairns trainer Trevor Rowe is at Cannon Park every morning from 4am to train the 14 horses he has running this weekend and he won’t leave any day until after 6pm.

"I love the animals; horses are big kind animals," Mr Rowe, who has worked in racing for 32 years, said.

"I love when the sun is coming up and you can see the steam coming out of their nostrils."

"By 9am, we have worked and hosed the horses, then I do some book work, have a nana nap, and then out again in the afternoon."

This week will be dedicated to keeping the horses in a routine and calm as marquees are erected in preparation for the biggest race carnival in the Far North that boasts a minimum prize of $15,000 a race.

For Mr Rowe, horse training is a family affair.

His son, Peter, is his stable foreman, and has never missed the Cairns Amateurs.

"He used to sit on the bonnet of the car as a five-year-old and watch it," Mr Rowe said.

His wife and daughter help out in the stables.

"She is pretty well allergic to horses but she just takes some Phenergan (antihistamine) and puts on a mask to keep from breathing the dust that rises from the horses’ hair," Mr Rowe said.

There will be no parties for the trainer who will work until 7pm on Amateurs Cup night when he finishes feeding, stabling and bedding the horses down.

"I might have a big night on Saturday night," Mr Rowe said – especially if it’s been a good day on the track.

The Amateurs has proved so popular this year that the committee has stopped accepting new members.

"It’s the first time it’s happened in many, many years," Cairns Amateurs CEO Graham Thornton said.

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