The equation will be simple for Houtzen when she steps out at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Houtzen must win the Group III Scarborough Stakes (1200m) in comfortable fashion to keep alive her chances of shooting for $10 million in stakes in The Everest in Sydney on October 14.
Houtzen's trainer Toby Edmonds said a narrow win was unlikely to be enough for the filly to run in The Everest.
"She has got a slot in The Everest and that's her grand final but she has got to put the foot down this week or she is not going to run," Edmonds said.
"She has to perform Friday night to warrant going on.
"If she wins but wins poorly, she won't run but if she wins and smashes them, we'll be going on."
Houtzen finished third in the Group II McEwen Stakes (1000m) at her Melbourne debut on September 9 but that run provided the daughter of I Am Invincible with valuable experience on the Moonee Valley circuit.
Houtzen had more practice at the Valley in a gallop on Monday morning in which she wore blinkers but Edmonds said he would wait until Wednesday morning before deciding whether the speedster would wear them in the Scarborough Stakes.
"We just think that she has been a high-speed filly but you have actually got to make her do it," Edmonds said.
"Going this way around, she has always been quite relaxed in her work. (Jockey) Jeff (Lloyd) had to make her get up and make her work (on Monday).
"We're not 100 percent sure that she'll wear the blinkers. We'll make up our minds before acceptance time."
Edmonds added the 1200m of the Scarborough Stakes was what Houtzen required for her second-up outing, rather than the 1000m of the Group I Moir Stakes against the older horses.
"I think a 1200m race would be a nice race going forward into The Everest. She needs a good 1200m gallop and I think the 1000m legs might have just gone out of her," he said.
"It was always my plan to give her a 1200m run before she goes into The Everest."
