A supremely polished test from European champion Bettina Overesch gave Germany the overnight advantage in both the team and individual placings in the three-day event at the World Equestrian Games in Pratoni del Vivaro yesterday.

Overesch, who stood below Mark Todd on the medal podium in Burghley last autumn but claimed the European gold, turned the tables on the New Zealander yesterday with an almost fault-free test from the lovely grey Watermill Stream that gave the German a .4 penalty advantage over her Antipodean rival.

Placings in the teams are similarly tight, but when Overesch's compatriot Marina Loheit slotted into third, the Germans eased ahead of New Zealand by a mere four penalties. Australia, with a quartet that contains two world debutants in Stuart Tinney (5th) and Shane Rose (9th) hold third ahead of America and France.

Ireland moved up the team rankings with workmanlike performances from Lucy Thompson and Eric Smiley yesterday to wind up 10th at the close of play. Thompson, who led from the outset when she took the European title here three years ago, is in 17th place with Welton Molecule, while Smiley and Enterprise (equal 38th) pushed Jane O'Flynn down to 40th by a mere fraction.

Stuart Crawford, who is making his first appearance on the senior championship squad here, was disappointed with his test from Kingatchacuk and, on a mark of 73.6, is lying 82nd but hopes to improve on that during today's cross-country.

Fittingly for a world championship, world records have been changing hands rapidly in the pure dressage in the Stadio Flaminio.