The pursuit of the perfect lawn has dominated the past 35 years of his life, from apprentice greenkeeper at Junee Golf Club to his current position, where he is regarded as one of the most respected curators in country racing.

In today’s Big Questions column, we quiz the grass master on his artistry.

How long have you been in the job? I started out as an apprentice greenkeeper at Junee Golf Club in 1981 and worked on the course for 24 years. I have been at the MTC for 11 years, with the past nine years as the track manager.

What's the best part of your job? I love working outside and I also get to meet a lot of great people. There are quite a few characters among them, too. It’s been a big part of my life since I was 16 and it’s all I know.

What's the key to the perfect mow? Speed of cut and sharp blades are the key. If you go too fast it doesn’t cut properly and that’s the same if the blades are blunt. You can never go too slow so you should never be in a hurry when mowing your lawn!

Generally, people who make pizza all day don't want to look at dough when they go home. Are you the same – is your own home lawn luscious and green or have you cemented your yard? I make sure I look after my own lawn pretty well while I am lucky my wife Michelle takes care of the garden. It’s a tall fescue lawn which is quite easy to maintain.

Do you have a raceday ritual? I do have a routine I follow closely. I’m up at 5.30am and walking the track by 6.30, making sure everything is safe for racing. If there has been some rain around I’ll have to assess the state of track. After that it’s pretty much setting up for the races – from opening up the buildings to turning on the TVs and rolling the track. I’m always on edge when the races are on because there are so many things which can go wrong.

During the Gold Cup, all eyes are on the MTC. Do you have a long lead-up in preparation or is it just another day for you? I’m thinking about the Gold Cup from a long way out ... up to three months before the big day in May. I’d prefer a drier lead-up than a wet one. We’re lucky to have a good irrigation system which allows us to control the moisture content in the track. When it’s been raining it’s in the lap of the Gods as to whether it will dry out. If things do fall into place it’s very satisfying for myself and all the staff to see the top jockeys riding on a good surface.

What’s the funniest thing you have seen on the job? The funniest thing I have seen was the day an amateur rider who is known as Kanga borrowed my keys to open up the weighing-in room so he could check his weight leading up to a race meeting. Former track staff member Dale Hugo snuck up on Kanga and put his foot on the scales behind him as he stepped on. Kanga couldn’t believe he had gone from 65kg to 75kg in the space of a day. His reaction is unprintable.

Do you ever go to the races or play a round of golf for the enjoyment or does your attention always turn to how the grounds/track/greens are being managed? I can’t help but to pay particular notice of how the tracks or greens are maintained. I’m a person who pays attention to detail at my own track so I’m always interested to see if others are the same.

If you could have any other job, what would it be? I love my sport. Anything sports-related would suit me. Being involved in cricket would be my top choice.