This article explores the competing effects of chiral and achiral interactions on discrimination in racemic fluids. For any racemate, the like-like (LL) and like-unlike (LU) interaction potentials can be divided into achiral (identical) and chiral (distinct) components. Clearly, if achiral interactions are dominant, then little discrimination is expected in the racemate. However, achiral interactions have the potential to increase discrimination by enhancing the probability of close contact, where the chiral component of the potential is largest. Intermolecular structure in a series of racemates is obtained from the molecule-based hypernetted-chain theory. This theory has previously been applied to hard chiral molecules [I. Paci and N. M. Cann, J. Chem. Phys. 115, 8489 (2001)]. In order to satisfactorily capture the molecular complexity of the enantiomers considered here, a modified closure relation has been derived and implemented. This modification incorporates the exact interaction potential, rather than an expansion, and will lead to a more accurate description of the intermolecular structure in any fluid. Intermolecular structure in a few racemates has also been examined with molecular dynamics simulations. We have found that elongated chiral molecules discriminate most readily with differences of up to 30% between the LL and LU distributions. We also find that a systematic increase in the achiral interactions is usually, but not always, accompanied by a corresponding systematic reduction in discrimination. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.