Instead, Ayres spends much of his time rubbing shoulders with the big end of town. He is close to the politically powerful Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust, which includes broadcaster Alan Jones, former premier Barry O'Farrell and businessman Tony Shepherd among its trustees. Loading And he has close links to the racing industry, owns a stake in a number of racehorses and is a regular guest of Racing NSW at race meetings (legitimately in his capacity as sports minister). If there is one minister positioning themselves to be Premier, it is Ayres.

Ayres is a moderate faction heavyweight. His partner is the Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne, who is a factional powerbroker in western Sydney, not the natural home for moderates. But he is not a senior minister. He is at 17th spot on the cabinet list, and has spent the best part of 18 months getting his colleagues offside. They think he throws his weight around and commits to money he has no power to spend. Ayres was determined to get two new stadiums built - one in Sydney's eastern suburbs and the other at Sydney Olympic Park. They came with a whopping pricetag. Allianz Stadium has hosted its last events. Credit:AAP

But facing a public backlash, backbenchers panicked and Gladys Berejiklian backflipped. They are rebuilding Allianz at Moore Park and refurbishing the other. Spending billions on sport was a tough sell but Ayres was desperate to get the stadium strategy over Loading the line despite it being political poison for the government. And hardly a vote winner for the western suburbs.

Then, after Alan Jones blasted the Opera House boss, Louise Herron, over her refusal to project the barrier draw of The Everest horse race on the iconic sails, it emerged Ayres had worked with Racing NSW to make it happen. A ‘‘can do’’ man, was how racing boss Peter V’Landys described him. Racing NSW may have been thrilled but the light show prompted passionate opposition and a petition that managed to get 300,000 signatures in just a few days. NSW minister Stuart Ayres is married to Foreign Minister Marise Payne. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen It was a completely unnecessary fire that the government had to fight and one that had very little to do with Ayres or Penrith. Age is on Ayres' side in his climb to the top. He will be 38 next month so can afford to ride out some years in Opposition if that what it takes.

The problem with that strategy is while he is schmoozing Sydney's movers and shakers, he's not giving his seat the undivided attention voters in the Liberal Party's third most marginal might expect. Ayres holds Penrith with a margin of just a 6.2 per cent. Loading He swept into Parliament in a byelection in 2010 after disgraced Labor MP Karyn Paluzzano had to quit after it was alleged she rorted public money and lied about it to the corruption watchdog. Ever since, he has been treated like a "precious snowflake" according to some. One long-time Liberal observer explained it like this: “Our key seats strategy is about over-investing time and effort in marginal but winnable seats to fortress seats required to hold government.