Kiwis feeling better

All-Black humours took a distinct turn for the better at Burghley yesterday afternoon, with three smiling Kiwis in the top six placings going into today's cross-country action.

Blyth Tait's threat to withdraw his Atlanta team goldmedal horse, Chesterfield, because of what he considered harsh judging by Angela Tucker on Thursday, has now been rescinded and he lines up as pathfinder round the massive 35-fence track this morning.

Chesterfield's stablemate Asprying earned the day's top marks from Mrs Tucker to leave him fifth, but compatriot Andrew Nicholson came closest to dislodging the leaders with a personal best from Merillion for overnight second.

Paddy Muir and Archie Brown still lead the pack, but the reshuffling of the leaderboard has allowed Scotsman Ian Stark and the gigantic gelding The Moose into third at the expense of Pippa Funnell and the Irish-bred Supreme Rock, with Mark Todd and Stunning not far off the pace. Most of the riders feel that dressage marks will be fairly irrelevant at close of play this evening, as Mark Phillips's cross-country makes no allowances for the fact that most of the top horses are absent prior to next month's World Equestrian Games in Rome.

Austin O'Connor was never given the opportunity of earning his ticket for the Italian job and, even though he has a good bit of ground to make up from 45th place with Simply Rhett, he is keen to show the Irish selectors the error of their ways.