Oh Mark you are so damn right 

We have to remember that Golden Demon isn't just about how good of a painter you are but also about who turned up.

You can be an amazing painter but if Soper, Bohun and Kanaev turn up in the same category as you have - get a beer and move on! 

Oh I remember my sacred duel in 2016, it was my best paintjob till date and everyone next to the cabinets told me I was going to place. Just 10 minutes before the end of the period when you can enter the contest Matty Kennedy turns up with his amazingly painted Ork vs Blood Angel and there's my demon gone! haha I was happy to lose to that tho as I knew I couldn't paint my duel any better!

So yeah, I would say this: do absolutely everything in your power to feel good about the entry as even if you don't win, you will be sure you did everything you humanly could (not counting hijacking opponents family members and blacklisting  ).