Which horse to bet on in the athletes village race...

A crucial fortnight is unfolding for the future of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The Olympic Delivery Authority board met this week and will announce its preferred bidder to buy the 2,800 private homes at the athletes village imminently.

It's a three horse race - the Wellcome Trust, Hutchison Whampoa and a joint venture between Delancey and Qatari Diar - and all are strong horses at that.

The Wellcome Trust put a spanner in the works this week by formally bidding to buy the whole Olympic park in a £1bn deal.

The Trust says its bid to be the sole operator of the park is contingent on them winning the athletes village.

Logic suggests they will know that piece of news before the Olympic Park Legacy Company has had a chance to digest whether it wants to go down the route of a single operator for the Olympic Park.

But at any rate, if it does win the village and therefore a bid for the whole park is on the cards, the Wellcome Trust will not automatically win the right to run the whole thing. It will be put out to competitive tender opening the door for rival bids.

The great thing for the London 2012 Olympic chiefs is the level of international interest the east London has so far garnered.

The international strength of the other bidders for the village is testament to that.

The sovereign wealth of Qatari Diar, coupled with UK developer Delancey and the Hong Kong powerhouse that is Hutchison Whampoa.

Choosing Qatari could raise some eyebrows given the rumble that has gone on around the Chelsea Barracks, while Wellcome's posturing over all-or-nothing style bids won't have won friends.

That leaves Hutchison which has been quietly going about its business. That's not to mention the fact it can provide a window to investment from China - set to become the world's largest economy.

It could well be the pony to bet on...