Drawing comparisons between athletes is both divisive and devilishly enjoyable. 

Hardened critics hate the process, young bucks eat it up. 

Wherever you sit on the spectrum, the most complex contrasts involve those between teams, kennels, countries and stables. 

Think Ablett Snr vs Ablett Jnr, Coleman vs Hird, Fernando vs Fanta Bale, Brady vs Manning. 

Or, in the case of harness racing’s current quandary, Dance Craze versus Im Ready Jet. 

Oddly enough, just as in the gallops, southern hemisphere trotting mares have only just emerged as genuine rivals to their male counterparts. 

Ok, the thoroughbreds had Emancipation and Sunline, just as the trotters had Scotch Notch, Sumthingaboutmaori and La Coocaracha. 

Now, however, female horses often rise above. 

For myriad reasons, Makybe Diva, Black Caviar and Winx wound their way to reaching heights that few have reached before. 

The same goes for Dance Craze and Im Ready Jet. 

Only these two trotting mares are from the very same barn, that of Anton Golino, with plenty of assistance from pioneering owner/breeder Pat Driscoll. 

Dance Craze was something special. 

She may have won just three Group 1’s, but among them were a Great Southern Star and an Australian Grand Prix. 

Im Ready Jet, on the other hand, has already yielded four elite-level triumphs, but still remains well short of her older co-habitant’s prizemoney. 

Tonight, however, Im Ready Jet will likely bridge that cash-grab gap on Dance Craze, and also land her fifth Group 1 triumph in the newly elevated Sumthingaboutmaori Trotter Free For All at Tabcorp Park. 

Is she equal to Dance Craze? 

Is she better? 

That much remains the speculative domain of punters and of pundits. 

One thing, however, is certain. 

Trotting mares of this calibre are the future of Australasian Harness Racing. 

For some years now, our very finest pacers have competed and succeeded on the world stage. 

Yet nothing is quite as elite in harness as the trotters. 

Whether Im Ready Jet can win tonight and potentially campaign overseas in races like Sweden’s Elitloppet remains utterly unknown. 

Whether her sons and daughters, or perhaps or grandsons and granddaughters can achieve this feat seems much more predictable. 

For now, though, there’s a job at hand. 

And one suspects Im Ready Jet is well equipped to do it. 

Last night, leading mentor Russell Jack was busy conditioning horses for multiple feature events at Bathurst. 

But his most promising prospect may well race tonight at Melton. 

They’ve been cagey, this crew, when it comes to Hi Manameisjeff. 

After dominating last weekend’s Group 2 Melton Plate, however, the cat escaped the bag. 

This evening’s assignment, an up-to-99 rated middle-trip meander, won’t reveal a great deal about this horse’s talent. 

Those that know, however, have him pegged as open class.

The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.