Who is the faster? It's anyone's guess
Which is faster, an internationally renowned racehorse or a champion cyclist?
That's the question Hong Kong people are being invited to answer after a ride by world 15km scratch track champion and Asian Games medallist Wong Kam-po yesterday in an effort to match possible Horse of the Year Viva Pataca's record time in the Hong Kong Champions and Chater Cup at Sha Tin on June 3.
The racehorse covered the 2,400 metres in two minutes 24.6 seconds. Wong rode the same distance on an international-standard cycling course in Shenzhen yesterday morning, but his time is a secret for now.
'I have never competed with a horse before,' Wong said. 'As I was not riding on the same track, I had to imagine the movements of Viva Pataca and how the jockey rode it as though it was beside me.'
The Jockey Club is running an online guessing game from Thursday until June 27 in which the first 5,000 winners will receive a gift coupon enabling them to enjoy food and drinks at the opening race day on September 9.
'It is our first attempt at putting two sports together. The game does not aim at charity but to entertain the public,' a spokesman for the Hong Kong Jockey Club said.
Asked how confident he had been about beating the time set by casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun's Viva Pataca, Wong said he had calculated in advance that the speed difference would not be enormous.
He used the best possible equipment, including a specially designed helmet and professional wheels.
But he said his psychological state was also important. 'I woke up earlier to prepare all the equipment I needed and to think about how to do my best,' Wong said.
The cyclist said it was still too early to comment on whether he could enter the Beijing Olympics.
