Empire riders Scott Brash with Hello Senator and Hans-Dieter Dreher with Embassy II produced a double clear round in the CSI 5* 1.55m class on Thursday to finish 12 seconds faster than their nearest rivals.

Hello Senator responded well to Brash's requests as they put in a masterful clearance, before team mate Dreher got a clear round of his own.

Miami Celtics' Shane Breen, aboard Ipswich van de Wolfsakker and William Whitaker's mount RMF Cadeau de Muze, were the only other pairing to complete a faultless round after the first day, putting them in the box seat to land a podium spot tomorrow.

With six teams sitting on just four faults, there is potential for a shake-up in the final results.

The Madrid in Motion duo of Michael G Duffy with Lapuccino 2 and Eduardo Álvarez Aznar with Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot set a steady pace but Duffy came undone in the tight Longines double of verticals, which put four faults on their scoresheet.

Atop Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot, who had helped the team secure the inaugural GCL Super Cup in December 2018, Álvarez Aznar completed a steady round to finish 10 seconds faster than Scandinavian Vikings pairing Geir Gulliksen and Christian Ahlmann.

Course designer Frank Rothenberger has set a flowing, galloping course, providing plenty of options for riders to take inside turns to save time.

Whether the delicate Longines double of verticals, set on a downward slope, will be the undoing of the top riders remains to be seen, but anyone harbouring ambitions of a podium finish will need complete control and accuracy to complete clear rounds again.