Britain's Michael Whitaker rode like a man inspired to win the second leg of the World Cup final in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Saturday and take the slimmest of leads in the overall rankings from defending champion Rodrigo Pessoa.

Whitaker, who has just one point in hand of the Brazilian going into today's final decider, will be hoping to erase the memories of 1995 when, having held all the trumps after the second leg, then dropped to fifth in the final lineup behind compatriot Nick Skelton.

But it was a day of disappointment for Ireland's Jessica Kurten, with a last-fence error keeping her out of the jump-off to drop her two slots in the standings to joint19th as she heads into this afternoon's two-round finale.

Twelve of the field found the key to Olaf Petersen's testing track, with a further 11 - including Kurten - faulting just once on the way round. Kurten's sole mistake came at the unlucky 13th, when one kick too many left Paavo with no room for manoeuvre and the front rail fell.

Belgium's Ludo Philippaerts set the early target, clear in 42.08 with Otterongo. Switzerland's Markus Fuchs was 1.65 adrift on the clock with Tinka's Boy just three from the end, but then Whitaker galloped in with the stallion Handel II to re-write the order.

His time of 39.73 slashed 2.35 seconds from the target.

There was no change of fortune for Kurten yesterday when Bonita, still wound-up from Saturday's prizegiving when the spotlights and music sent her demented, kicked out three fences to leave Kurten out of the running in the Grand Prix.

Just five went clear, although 14 found just one rail barring them from a place in the jump-off. Honours eventually went to Germany's Ludger Beerbaum, with the only double clear to win on Figaro's Boy from Switzerland's Willi Melliger (Annaconda) and Sweden's Helena Lundback, who kept the home crowd happy by finishing third on Utfors Mynta.