IRELAND'S Patricia Ryan has retained her overnight lead at the three-star event in Ballindenisk, Co. Cork after completion of the dressage and cross country phases.

Riding Tullineaskey Hi Ho (ISH) the Bandon-based rider is less than one penalty point ahead of British challenger Oliver Townend and Cooley SRS, with Belgium's Stephanie D'Andrimont and Alexander IV not far behind in third.

However, Carlow's Sam Watson is also poised to strike at the top slots, holding both fourth and fifth places with Imperial Sky (ISH)(TIH) and Horseware Bushman (ISH)(TIH) respectively, before tomorrow's show jumping phase.

In the CCI2* class, Britain's Izzy Taylor and Be Touchable retain the lead ahead of show jumping, with New Zealander Blyth Tait and Darius IV in overnight second place.

Tait's fellow New Zealander Mark Todd maintains his pole position in the CIC3* competition on NZB Campino, while Ireland's Cathal Daniels and Sammy Davis Junior (ISH) retain their first place in the CIC2* class ahead of Sunday's final phase.

The USA's Elisabeth Halliday-Sharp has won the CIC1* at Ballindenisk, finishing all three phases on a total of 42.1 with the bay gelding Oskar.