No sporting activity relies on recovery powers quite like the Inter Dominion Series.
Tonight, the second round of this year’s ID qualifiers will take place in Shepparton without the dust really settling on Saturday night’s first round preliminaries in Ballarat.
And not only must the horses turn and burn quickly, but also the men.
Jodi Quinlan, for example, had less than 72 hours to celebrate her outrageous driving double in Ballarat.
It is not entirely accurate; they didn’t have nearly 72 hours of celebration.
Sugars returned to work on Sunday, competing at Cranbourne, while Tubbs trained at Kilmore on Monday.
For her part, Quinlan returned to winning ways at Kilmore on Monday, partnering Craig Demmler, the man who guided Ofortuna to victory on Saturday night.
These names above are just a few.
So many other trainers and drivers have continued on between Ballarat’s Inter Dominion launch pad on Saturday night and its second stanza tonight at Shepparton.
They, however – rightly or wrongly – are used to this level of personal brutality.
The horses are not.
So who will thrive and who will sink in the three-day reserve?
Ordinarily, we would worry about the youngest standardbreds navigating their way through this most testing series.
Not so much this year.
In the first round, the four-year-old brigade brought the heat.
Think Better Eclipse, think Act Now, and to a slightly lesser extent, think Narutac Prince, Beyond Delight, Queen Elida, and Mufasa Metro.
None of these standard breeds seem frail or frail.
However, we will only know who is able to compete four times in three weeks at any given time on Saturday night.
The other big factor to consider at Shepparton tonight is the points.
Who has them and who needs them.
Act Now, for example, got an ungenerous second-line draw on the second night of this Inter Dominion series, but can compete on its own after getting maximum coverage on the first night at Ballarat.
Instead, One Over All has no choice but to compete for a top-two finish at all costs tonight after breaking the streak and finishing last on night one.
The final question for Shepparton punters to answer is this.
Which horses, when this streak began, saw sprint racing as their saving grace?
Horses like Huli Nien, Bulletproof Boy and maybe Vacation Hill.
How far will these horses go to land the most points possible at their preferred distance?
Once again, respecting the complexity of the ID series and answering these key questions will be crucial to taking advantage tonight.
And if you make a few mistakes, don’t beat yourself up.
Some ID queries are known only after races have been challenged.
And even when tonight is complete, I’m only half done.
Is gambling a problem for you? Call Gambler Help on 1800 858 858 or your local gambling helpline. Play responsibly.