Australian Paul Tapner is within sight of winning the Badminton Horse Trials for a second time after dominating an intense day of punishing cross-country action.
The Swindon-based rider, who triumphed on Inonothing four years ago, leads with Kilronan heading into Sunday's showjumping finale and the chase of a prize of STG80,000 ($A146,000).
But Italian designer Giuseppe Della Chiesa's course proved the real conqueror after none of the 78 combinations jumped clear inside an optimum time of 11 minutes 21 seconds.
Soft going and a major four-star jumping track took an inevitable toll - world No.1 William Fox-Pitt and No.2 Andrew Nicholson were among those who crashed out - but Tapner moved into pole position, taking a score of 56.4 penalties forward to Sunday's showjumping finale.
He has a showjumping fence in hand over second-placed New Zealander Tim Price, on Ringwood Sky Boy, with Frenchman Pascal Leroy third aboard Minos De Petra.
Yorkshireman Oliver Townend, who won Badminton in 2009, is the leading British rider with Armada in fourth place, but Tapner can afford to have a fence down on Sunday and still win.
"It was hard work out there," Tapner said. "It was a battlefield.
"It didn't go exactly according to plan. I knew I had to conserve energy until I got through through the Huntsman's Close challenge. When I knew the horse was starting to get tired, I just took the pedal off.
"It was about getting the job done, getting clear and getting home.
"I knew the course was going to be influential. It was not easy for anyone out there."
A total of 35 combinations will now contest the showjumping phase, but the title is very much Tapner's to lose.
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