When two great horses meet even a few percentage points of luck or fitness can be enough to decide group one glory.
Which is why Adore Me should beat Bettor Cover Lover in the $100,000 Rosslands Queen of Hearts at Alexandra Park tonight.
The pair go into the race similar in ability and drawn just one horse apart but the major difference could be Adore Me's (R9, No.3) prep has been perfect, Bettor Cover Lover's (1) has not.
Adore Me jogged her lead-up race last Friday and beat Franco Nelson at Addington the start before, with trainer Mark Purdon adamant she is spot on for tonight.
But Brent Mangos has been to Perth and back for an arduous campaign with Bettor Cover Lover, one where the heat and poor draws meant she never got in her comfort zone.
Back on the track where she has won this race the last two seasons - one in fairytale fashion - Betty will be better tonight.
But those percentage points look to be in Adore Me's favour.
While the clash of two truly great mares would usually be the highlight of any meeting, tonight's $50,000 Alabar Classic may steal their thunder.
It has brought together a field worthy of a Derby and the result may depend on what happens at the start.
If Locharburn (R8, No.1) shows the gate speed and courage he did behind the older Elios last Friday he can not only win but greatly aids the chances of likely trailer Maxim (9).
But if Locharburn isn't quite so tractable early tonight, and many pacers aren't from inside draws, then Sky Major (4) becomes top pick.
He was driven quiet fresh-up last week but showed blistering speed and if he can settle handy or lead without working too hard tonight he will be awfully hard for a field of hotshots to pick up.
Venus Serena (R7, No.4) was so good last Friday she looks everybody's Pick6 anchor but outside of her odds-on favourites will pleasingly be in short supply.
Stent (R1, No.6) will improve on last Friday's defeat but has a 30m backmark against two genuine topliners in Prime Power (2) and Realmein (3), the latter better suited to tonight's standing start.
One of NZ's few mares-only trotting races gives Love Ya Doosie (R6, No.2) a chance to join half-brother I Can Doosit as a group winner as she is the only trotter drawn off the front.
But if she doesn't fully use that advantage a pack led by Lotalov (4), Whitney (8), Superbowlcheerleader (10) and Mingara (17) could make her pay in what will be a great betting race.
Franco Nelson (R10, No.7) was as brilliant as his driver John Dunn last Friday and will be aided by the small field in the Kumeu Founders Cup.
What he lacks in raw courage he makes up for in speed and if Dunn can coax the best out of him he can win again, but not without a fight from two sets of stablemates.
Give The Wink (1) is Geoff Small's next good horse while Jarcullembra (4) is well placed in these handicaps. And the in-form Reid-McMullen stable have three in the race, headlined by Tiago Bromac (8) and Kiwi Ideal (9), both of whom can win.
Like many intermediate grade standing start races at Alex Park, it could come down to who sits where when the sprint starts.
The first Young Guns heat sees two Purdon-Rasmussen-trained babies in Follow The Stars (R5, No.3) and Iceobar (7) who will take plenty of tote support but locals Ardee (5) and Chachingchaching (4) will give them plenty to think about.