Australia: Greenskeeper at his favorite track, Port Macquarie

Greenskeeper is right at home at Port Macquarie Racecourse in Australia.

Greenskeeper has won 2 of 16 starts with both of his wins at Port Macquarie, a coastal town north of Sydney. Thursday, Greenskeeper will have his second start of 2020 in a handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs at Port Macquarie.

Trained by Nathan Doyle, Greenskeeper won a maiden race at Port Macquarie in his 14th start in October 2019 and did not race again until last month when he won a six-furlong handicap at Port Macquarie, closing from fourth in a field of 11 to prevail by a neck. Jockey Koby Jennings rode Greenskeeper to his maiden race win and has the mount on Thursday.

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The handicap is the third race on an eight-race program that begins at 9:15 p.m. Eastern, or 6:15 p.m. Pacific, on Wednesday.

Greenskeeper tends to run as a stalker, which should work in Thursday’s race if Okay Boss takes his typical position near the front. Okay Boss, a winner of 5 of 27 starts, won a six-furlong handicap at Port Macquarie on Sept. 27, but was later fifth in a race at 5 1/2 furlongs there on Oct. 7 and sixth in a handicap at seven furlongs at Grafton on Oct. 27, fading late after setting the pace.

Greenskeeper figures to be a slight second choice behind Aristograts, although the seven-horse field does not have a standout.

Aristograts is winless in eight starts, but was a game second by about a head in a handicap at 6 1/2 furlongs at Moree Racecourse on Oct. 30. Aristograts closed from ninth in a field of 11 to just miss as the 8-5 favorite.