By Clare Balding BBC Equestrian presenter

Zara Phillips is the current European and world champion

Zara Phillips has given herself an excellent chance of defending her European Eventing title after a controlled dressage test on Toytown.

A score of 29.8 penalty points puts them in third place after day one, 2.7 marks behind Bettina Hoy of Germany and Ringwood Cockatoo who lead with 27.10.

In second place is Frenchman Nicholas Touzaint and his elegant grey gelding Galan de Sauvagere on 29.40.

They were the only three riders to break the magic barrier of 30.

Phillips is the first rider since Ginny Elliot to hold the European and world titles at the same time but is impressively calm about the interest and attention surrounding her bid to win another gold medal.

It is a very different feeling to be riding as an individual rather than for the team Bettina Hoy

"I wouldn't say it's more pressure," she said. "It's just different. Toytown got better throughout the test. My job was to keep him relaxed.

"He feels really well and I'm looking forward to the cross-country. It is very clever and hilly. It will take plenty of jumping and I need to be accurate. The footing is not too bad - it breaks up and will ride better than it looks."

She is supported in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, by her father, Captain Mark Phillips, who has walked the course and advised her on how to ride it.

Her mother, the Princess Royal, will arrive on Saturday to watch the cross-country along with her brother Peter, his fiancee and Zara's boyfriend Mike Tindall.

The Great Britain team, consisting of Phillips, Mary King, Daisy Dick and Oliver Townend lie in second place behind Germany after the dressage with just over six points separating them.

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday BBCi and BBC Sport website, 0940-1500 BBC ONE and BBC Sport website, 1300-1630 Sunday BBCi and BBC Sport website, 0940-1215 and 1340-1615 BBC TWO and BBC Sport website, 1610-1730

King's mark of 36.5 on Call Again Cavalier puts her in seventh place individually. Great Britain are bidding to win an unprecedented seventh consecutive team gold medal at the European Championships.

Bettina Hoy's test on the grey Ringwood Cockatoo was easily the best of the field and a score of 27.1 means that she will lead going into the cross-country phase as she tries to prove a point to the German selectors, who left her out of the team.

The 44-year old, who would have won individual and team gold at the Athens Olympics but for going through the show-jumping start line twice, will only be eligible for an individual medal. "This is the best score I have ever had with Ringwood Cockatoo," said Hoy.

"He was brilliant and I knew I really had to help him through today because he tipped over this morning and got a bit of a fright but he was just brilliant. A cool customer and so brave.

"I completely understand not being included in the team as all of the members have been very active and successful this season. It is a very different feeling to be riding as an individual rather than for the team.

"There's also a greater freedom so I can make choices for Cockatoo without any team orders."

The cross-country course will be hugely influential as it will require great fitness from the horses.

It undulates up and down the hills above Rome and includes a large number of narrow fences at which a run out looks all too easy.

There has been no rain in the area for two-and-a-half months and the ground is therefore very fast but the course lies in a volcanic crater and the naturally occurring volcanic sand makes it more forgiving underfoot than it might be.

Any refusal or run out on the cross-country will cost 20 penalties.

The time of 10 minutes 34 seconds will be hard to achieve and with 0.4 penalties for every second over the time, a rider's ability to pace their horse will prove crucial.

Individual Scores:
1. Bettina Hoy, Ringwood Cockatoo (GER) - 27.10
2. Nicholas Touzaint, Galan de Sauvagere (FRA) - 29.40
3. Zara Phillips, Toytown (GB) - 29.80
4. Ingrid Klimke, FRH Butts Abraxxas (GER) - 31.50
5. Frank Ostholt, Air Jordan (GER) - 33.10
6. Karin Donckers, Gazelle de la Brasserie (BEL) - 33.50
7. Mary King, Call Again Cavalier (GB) - 36.50

Other selected:
12. Daisy Dick, Spring Along (GB) - 42.30
14. Oliver Townend, Flint Curtis (GB) - 44.2
17. Georgie Davies, Fachoudette (GB) - 45.4
19. Rodney Powell, Langarth Darcy (GB) - 47.50