Scott Brash pressed his Olympic selection claims with a faultless Nations Cup display for Great Britain in Rome on Friday.
The Peebles-based showjumper guided his new horse Hello Sanctos to clear rounds in both phases of a competition won emphatically by London team gold medal favourites Germany.
Nick Skelton and Ben Maher are expected to pin down two of the four places among Britain's quartet for London, but Brash now also looks a strong bet.
Sanctos, bought for him before Christmas by loyal British showjumping supporters Lady Harris and Lady Kirkham, had a Nations Cup debut to savour.
But it was an otherwise disappointing afternoon for Britain in the Villa Borghese sunshine as they slumped to an equal-sixth finish overall with Holland.
Will Funnell had a miserable time on Billy Angelo, posting nine and 12 faults, while anchorman Peter Charles followed a first round containing four faults with 12 on Murka's Vindicat W.
Tina Fletcher went close to matching Brash's effort, only to have the last fence down in each round on Hello Sailor.
"Scott jumped two world-class rounds with Sanctos, which is a huge positive," Great Britain team manager Rob Hoekstra said.
"And it was great to see Tina with Hello Sailor back at this level for the first time this year, jumping as well as they are despite having the last fence down.
"Peter and Vindicat jumped a very good first round, but Vindicat perhaps looked a little tired in the second round and was lacking a little fitness at this level early on in the season.
"Will and Billy Angelo were unfortunate in the first round which resulted in Will needing to over-ride him slightly in the second round, incurring faults."
Michael Whitaker, John Whitaker and Tim Stockdale, who is back in the saddle after breaking his neck only seven months ago, are all set for their opportunities when the Nations Cup moves to St Gallen in Switzerland next Friday.
"It was a very testing course, and we are progressing towards putting together a very strong team for the Olympic Games," Hoekstra added.
"With this in mind, these initial three Nations Cups (La Baule, Rome and St Gallen) are doing exactly what they are designed to do in terms of giving people an opportunity to show us exactly what they can do.
"After St Gallen we will review everything and start fine-tuning our team."
Hoekstra and his fellow selector Di Lampard are set to announce the London-bound team in early July, but on today's evidence Germany will take some stopping.
They paraded their likely Olympics quartet of Marco Kutscher, Christian Ahlmann, Marcus Ehning and Ludger Beerbaum, and so dominant were they that Beerbaum did not need to jump in round two, having already wrapped up victory.
Switzerland finished second, with Belgium third, but Belgium lead overall after two events, one point clear of Germany, with Britain in sixth place.
Ireland currently prop up the Nations Cup table following a forgettable trip to Rome.
Despite Billy Twomey jumping two clear rounds on Tinka's Serenade, Niall Talbot was eliminated after a crashing fall in round one, when Cian O'Connor had 20 faults aboard Blue Loyd.
