Lucy Thompson, who was crowned as European three-day event champion in 1995, heads the Irish contingent at Badminton this week with a double handful. Thompson, who defected to the Irish team at the beginning of 1995, rides both Welton Romance, the mare that carried her to European gold, and the powerful Welton Molecule.

The two horses have been tuned up this spring for a crack at the Mitsubishi Motors trophy, but the pair have been entered for next week's IFG Punchestown international as insurance against any mishaps in Badminton and can be quickly re-routed to the Irish fixture if necessary.

Both horses, who excel at dressage, finished first and second in the Badminton warm-up combined training three weeks ago before another successful run in two of the Belton advanced classes. The mare performs in the dressage arena this morning, while Molecule is drawn six from the end of the 80-runner field and should benefit from the trigger-happy response that seems to afflict the judges by the close of play on the second day.

Thompson has strong back-up in the form of Eric Smiley, who finished 12th here last year with the brilliant Enterprise. The Irish camp also fields Virginia McGrath and The Yellow Earl, who produced a superb cross country clear 12 months ago on their Badminton debut, and Mark Kyle, who broke into the senior Irish team at Burghley last year and now faces his first four-star track with the talented grey Irish Patriot.

Joint-favourites to claim the Mitsubishi Motors honours are the New Zealand duo Mark Todd and Blyth Tait. Todd, who has won here three times and who led a Kiwi whitewash at the French three-day in Saumur 10 days ago, rides Broadcast News, the New Zealand-bred that provided Todd with the horsepower to win the open European championships last autumn.

Tait won Olympic gold in Atlanta two years ago with the then inexperienced Ready Teddy, but the chestnut has now matured and has had three advanced wins in the build-up to Badminton.

America's David O'Connor, winner at Badminton 12 months ago, had hoped to be able to defend his title riding Prince Panache. His wife, Karen, who usually rides the horse, is still recovering from broken ribs and sternum damaged in a fall at the new Kentucky four-star less than a fortnight ago, but decided on Tuesday night that adrenalin will provide the necessary painkillers for her to take the ride on Prince Panache and leave the defending champion on the ground.