KEY POINTS:
Mark Todd's Olympic dream remains on track after the cross-country phase at the three-star Saumur Horse Trials in France yesterday.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist joined compatriots Andrew Nicholson and Tim Price prominently positioned on the leaderboard heading into today's showjumping.
All three improved their positions yesterday, with Todd moving from 25th place after the dressage to 13th, Nicholson from 17th to third and Price from 39th to eighth.
Nicholson was busy making inroads on both his mounts.
He won the cross-country phase on Epic to sit third overall and he was also sixth on Nereo after starting yesterday in 16th place.
Todd's performance attracted a lot of attention as he continues his comeback on Gandalf with the goal of competing in his sixth Olympics in Beijing in August.
Todd said Gandalf went extremely well in trying conditions while his other horse, Dusty Moon, was eliminated.
"[Gandalf] did what we thought he could do but we know he's capable of a lot more. All in all happy with where we are at."
The leader after the cross-country is Australian Sam Griffiths on 47.30 penalties, followed by France's Aurelien Kahn on 55.40.
Nicholson and Epic are next on 55.70 while the same rider and Nereo posted 63.80, Price was on 64.50 and Todd 70.30.
Todd and Gandalf yesterday picked up 53.9 penalties in the dressage, well under the Beijing qualifying standard.
The combination again did more than was required, incurring 16.40 time penalties when his Games ambitions demanded he incur no more than 36.
His showjumping target will be to tally no more than 16 penalties.
Todd has been in Europe for a month and ran 10-year-old gelding Gandalf in his first European competition a week ago, in a two-star event at Osberton, England, where the pair finished 17th.
They gained their first Olympic qualification result at the Puhinui event in Auckland two months ago.
- NZPA
