Phillips remains in the hunt for Kentucky ride

She has not given up hope of gaining team selection for the World Equestrian Games in late September but she confirmed this week that 18-year-old Toytown would not be available.

The pair were crowned 2006 world champions in Aachen, Germany, a year after winning the European individual title.

However, Toytown's career has also been blighted by injury, most notably through training mishaps which sidelined him from the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and then the Beijing Olympics. He also suffered an injury last year and is currently doing light training work.

"There are no plans for him this year," said Zaralips.

"We are just going quietly with him. He doesn't owe me anything – there is no pressure."

She has entered 15-year-old Glenbuck for the Mitsubishi Badminton Horse Trials, which start on April 30, as well as 12-year-old Poilu, ridden last year by the Australian Clayton Fredericks and now part of Zara's 15-strong string of horses.

She needs a top-10 finish at Badminton to strengthen her case for team selection ahead of the World Equestrian Games.

"It all depends on results," she added. "There are a lot of people out there with good combinations."

The reigning European champion Tina Cook, last year's Badminton and Burghley winner Oliver Townend and major event winner William Fix-Pitt look to be certainties for Kentucky. Others with strong claims include Yorkshire's Nicola Wilson, Piggy French, Mary King and Lucy Weigersma.

While it remains to be seen whether she makes it to Kentucky, Phillips is determined to be part of Great Britain's Olympic medal bid at London 2012.

She is developing such a promising string of young horses at her Gatcombe Park yard in Gloucestershire that she appears to be firmly on course.

While she has a tough act to follow – her father Captain Mark Phillips won an Olympic team gold medal in Munich (1972) and silver at Seoul (1988), while her mother Princess Anne competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics – Phillips's determination is evident.

"It would be great to go on home turf," said the 28-year-old.

"I think you do think about it because you are obviously working to get to that level and be good enough by the summer of 2012.

"I loved competing in front of the home crowd at Blenheim (the 2005 European Championships that Phillips won). They were very supportive and it was such a great atmosphere. It would be fantastic to be able to do it again in London."

ONE of the up and coming members of the Whitaker family, 17-year-old George, gave an impressive performance to win the fifth of the qualifying competitions for the World Class Development Programme Championship which was held at Arena UK.

The competition was open to riders aged 23 or under and attracted 34 entries.

George rode Tubana going clear in the jump-off with a time of 30.79 seconds. Yazmin Pincher, riding Zodiac Z, was second and Nicole Pavitt was in third place riding Amarylis Van de Heffink. Winning this class puts George into equal third place on the points table. Carian Scudamore is in the lead with 82 points, followed by Abbie Squires on 53 points and in third place with George is Chris Smith, both with 50 points.