MARLBOROUGH-based Jonelle Price remains on course to win the prestigious CIC*** for eight- and nine-year-old horses at the Blenheim Palace Horse Trials for the second year running.

The New Zealander, who is number four in the world, produced a clear showjumping round to stay on her dressage score on Cloud Dancer ll.

“We had a few lives in there,” admitted Price, after Cloud Dancer ll had rattled a couple of poles.

“He’s quite Dutch (in his breeding) and needs a bit of spirit for tomorrow’s cross-country, as it’s going to come down to time.”

Jonelle can afford 10.6 time penalties on the cross-country course tomorrow as Astier Nicolas, the dressage runner-up, dropped to fourth with an unfortunate five penalties on the big-jumping Spes Addit Or, and the sole Chinese representative, Alex Hua Tian, has dropped from third to ninth with nine penalties on Don Geniro.

Swindon-based Tom McEwen lifted himself to 16th place on Joy Rider after going clear, while Jonelle’s husband Tim dropped one place to 22nd on Xavier Faer.

Meanwhile, in the CCI*** it is Tim Price who leads the Wiltshire charge as he lies in third place on The Court Jester with an impressive clear cross country round within the time.

Kitty King lifted herself up to sixth place on Ceylor after also coming home within the time and Laura Collett, on Pamero 4, and Flora Harris, on Bayano, lie just outside the top ten in 12th and 13th respectively.

Beanie Sturgis lifted herself from 31st place to 16th on Lebowski on day three, while Tom McEwen and Toledo De Kerser picked up 6.4 time penalties to drop to 29th place.