ZARA Phillips put herself firmly in contention at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials today with a quality dressage performance on her London 2012 horse High Kingdom.

Phillips, The Queen's granddaughter, posted a dressage score of 44.3 penalties that kept her firmly in touch with the leading group midway through day two.

Italian Stefano Brecciaroli, making his Badminton debut, delivered an outstanding test aboard the recent Burnham Market three-star winner Apollo VD Wendi Kurt Hoeve to lead on 36.8.

And Dirk Schrade - a member of Germany's Olympic gold medal-winning team last summer - eased into second spot aboard King Artus, while his London 2012 colleague Sandra Auffarth held third with Opgun Louvo.

"I am really chuffed to bits with him," Phillips said. "He is getting better and better, and he was really good today.

"He has developed quite late in life. If you look at his early career he could be a bit of a monkey, but the older he has got the better he has got. He loves it."

And reflecting on British equestrian's feelgood factor post-London, the team silver medal winner added: "Everyone who was there at London, and those of us who were lucky enough to be able to ride there, it was just the most amazing experience. We want to try to keep that going."

As day two moved past its halfway point Brecciaroli still held a comfortable advantage, but the late afternoon was set up for some serious threats to his score.

The two riders chasing eventing's richest prize - the £230,000 Rolex Grand Slam - were tucked in just behind the pace-setters.

Marlborough-based New Zealander Andrew Nicholson held eighth spot on Avebury, with British Olympian William Fox-Pitt equal ninth aboard Oslo. Both men have still to ride their principal challengers Nereo and Parklane Hawk.

The Grand Slam is awarded to any rider who wins consecutive Burghley, Kentucky and Badminton titles, but it has been achieved on only one previous occasion when Pippa Funnell completed a clean sweep 10 days ago.

World number one Nicholson is the reigning Burghley champion who won Kentucky six days ago, while Fox-Pitt triumphed at Burghley in 2011 and Kentucky last season. Because last year's Badminton was cancelled due to waterlogging, his Grand Slam bid was held over.

German Michael Jung, the reigning Olympic, world and European champion, was also among the later starters today on La Biosthetique-Sam.

"Those two guys (Nicholson and Fox-Pitt) are the best of the best, and if anyone can do what Pippa did in 2003 it's one of those two. It will be really exciting," Phillips said.

"To have one going for it (Grand Slam) is amazing, but to have two of them at the same competition fighting it out - with Michael Jung in the middle - is fantastic."

Brecciaroli, meanwhile, said of his dressage test: "He is a very good dressage horse. He moves very well.

"Maybe in the first canter he was a bit tense because of the rain and wind, but after that he was very good. We had trained in two days of perfect weather, then the rain and wind came today."

NEWS FROM DAY THREE OF THE BADMINTON HORSE TRIALS TOMOROW AT GAZETTEANDHERALD.CO.UK/SPORT AND WILTSHIRETIMES.CO.UK/SPORT AND REPORTS, REACTION & PICTURES IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD AND FRIDAY'S WILTSHIRE TIMES