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Trainer Tom Button is loving his new life in north Queensland and is hopeful new stable acquisition Ocean Emperor can make a big impact at Bowen on Friday.
A former star central Queensland jockey and five-times winner of the Rockhampton trainers' premiership, Button has a small of 14 in work at Bowen including Emperor in the Class Six Plate over 1280 metres.
He also saddles up Northern Pride in the Class Six Plate.
"I've been at Bowen for six months and I'm loving it," Button said.
"I came here from the Gold Coast originally for ther winter carnival last year and I didn't go home as I loved it so much.
"I've got 14 in work and that's about as many as I want as I'm trying to develop a boutique stable of quality horses."
Button is yet to test Ocean Emperor in a hard gallop at Bowen after buying him for $8,000 from his former owner Fred Noffke last week.
"I was told Fred was scaling back on the horses he owned so I bought Ocean Emperor last week," Button said.
"Hopefully we can get a quick return by winning at Bowen tomorrow.
"I don't know too much about Ocean Emperor but I know his previous trainer Kerrod Smyth well.
"Kerrod thought he could win at Emerald last week but the races were called off because of the heat."
Ocean Emperor started four times for Smyth, placing at his first three starts before a last start win in a 1300-metre Class Six at Mackay on January 5.
"He only arrived in the stable last week and I really haven't had much of a chance to work him properly but he should be very competitive on what Kerrod tells me," Button said.
Ocean Emperor was originally trained in Sydney by Bjorn Baker before being moved on to Gold Coast trainer Michael Costa and then Jack Bruce who trains at Deagon.
The six-year-old has started 38 times for five wins, three of which have been in Queensland, and 11 placings.
Button has named the Lachie Manzelmann-trained Tycoon Baby as the main danger.
Tycoon Baby is coming off a last start second in a 1400-metre Benchmark race at Rockhampton on January 25.
