Ferrari races a horse-drawn chariot – who wins?

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Ferrari races horse-drawn chariot

Car wins by several seconds

Staged at "Ben-Hur" film set in Italy

CNN  — 

It was the ultimate battle of horsepower, a sporting contest like you’ve never seen before.

Billed as a clash of ancient against modern, a Ferrari raced against a two-horse chariot in Castel Romana, Italy and, unsurprisingly, it was the car that motored to victory.

In a contemporary twist on the ancient chariot races, Ferrari driver Fabio Barone gave the horses a half-lap headstart. He was also driving in a wider lane without the aid of traction-control.

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But despite these handicaps, Barone’s Ferrari 458 still surged to victory, kicking up clouds of dust as it passed the galloping horses.

“A Ferrari launched in a straight line on sand is a bit like launching a car on a greasy piste,” Barone told AFP.

“When you get to the bend it’s very difficult to turn. The main problem was keeping my car straight. From the first lap I no longer had any brakes.”

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The race was staged on the track used in the 2016 Hollywood film “Ben-Hur” – a remake of the highly-acclaimed 1959 film – at Cinecitta Studios, just outside Rome.