Peter Charles, who just missed the cut for the top 25 that go through to the last-chance individual qualifier in Stadio Flaminio today, has got a last-minute place on the startlist following the withdrawal of French pair Eric Navet (15th) and Roger-Yves Bost (24th) yesterday.

Charles, who took European gold for Ireland in St Gallen three years ago, had said yesterday morning that he thought he stood a good chance of getting through to today's class with Traxdata T'Aime due to new rules introduced this year that drop-outs from the top 25 can be replaced by up to five reserves.

"I got him out this morning and he's a bit stiff," Charles said of the French-bred gelding, which hit just one fence in each round of Thursday's team decider. "But there are a lot of horses that aren't going the full nine yards today and he's just the same as every other horse.

"I felt a bit sorry for him yesterday," he said, referring back to Thursday's Nations Cup style two-rounder. "He was division three in the premiership, but I'll just see how it goes tomorrow."

The removal of Eric Navet, double gold medallist at the inaugural World Equestrian Games in Stockholm eight years ago, means that both Trevor Coyle and Erik Holstein move up a slot in today's order. Coyle, who was in overnight 17th, now goes up to 16th, while Holstein moves to 18th.

Both report that their horses have recovered well from Thursday's marathon jumping session, although the riders themselves have been catching up on some much needed sleep after their 4.00 a.m. start before the team finale.

Coyle reports that Cruising, the stallion that finished seventh individually at last year's European championships, is in rude health and was getting more enthusiastic by the minute during Thursday's second round. But no matter how well the three Irish horses jump today, there is no chance of an Irish starter in tomorrow's top four final as only a perfect trip for the Irish and total disasters for all those above them would leave them in the shake-up.

Eddie Macken, who missed this week's World Games when both his top horses were sidelined through injury, was twice through to the change-horse final in the 1970s, finishing second on both occasions. Since then Army rider Gerry Mullins is the only Irish rider to have featured, finishing fourth and out of the medals at the world championships in Dublin 16 years ago.

Switzerland's Willi Melliger, who currently leads the individual rankings, would undoubtedly be favourite to take the title in either a European or Olympic finish. But under world championship rules each of the top four have to ride each others' horses and the giant Calvaro is one of the most uncomplicated horses on the circuit and would be unlikely to pose too much of a challenge to a new jockey, however temporary the partnership.

The French horse Thor des Chaines, whose permanent rider Thierry Pomel finds him difficult enough to contain, would be a totally different proposition, however. In overnight third and with a double clear to clinch team silver for France on Thursday, Thierry Pomel stands a good chance of making it through to the top four, along with defending champion Franke Sloothaak, Hugo Simon and either of the two Pessoas, father Nelson and son Rodrigo. The four-in-hand driving marathon at Pratoni del Vivaro, which had been under threat of cancellation due to the appalling weather which had inflicted huge damage to the footing, went ahead as planned yesterday. Ireland's sole runner Viscount Petersham, who was lying in 30th after the dressage, dropped to 43rd going into today's final cones phase.