Søren Kjeldsen and Fabrizio Zanotti were in pole position as the British Masters supported by Sky Sports moved towards a dramatic conclusion at Woburn.
The tournament is back on the The European Tour International Schedule for the first time since 2008, producing some brilliant moments over the first three days.
And the fourth round followed suit with a host of players still in the hunt to catch Kjeldsen and Zanotti, who both reached the turn in 32 to get to 14 under.
That put them two shots clear of Matthew Fitzpatrick and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who were both level par for the day on 12 under.
Shane Lowry was then 11 under through 10 holes with Luke Donald in the group a shot behind having completed the front nine.
Oliver Fisher was also in the group at 10 under having set the clubhouse target with seven birdies in a 65 and that will be a great boost to the Englishman who came into the week 130th in the Race to Dubai.
Zanotti rattled in a birdie on the first from 12 feet to move alongside Fitzpatrick as Aphibarnrat started with back-to-back bogeys.
It became a three-way tie at the top as Kjeldsen picked up a birdie on the second but he gave it back on the next as the players were already jostling for position.
The Dane was soon back in the lead, though, as a poor tee-shot from Zanotti saw him drop a shot on the third and Fitzpatrick followed suit as he found the sand.
That meant at that point nine players were within a shot of the lead including Tyrrell Hatton, who picked up shots on the first, third, fourth, sixth and seventh, and Graeme McDowell, who got to four under for the day with a 40-foot eagle putt on the seventh.
Marcus Fraser was also in the group at 10 under after three birdies in six holes while Lowry and Romain Wattel had picked up birdies.
Kjeldsen then went out in front on his own with a birdie on the fourth but, playing in the group behind, Fitzpatrick and Zanotti both repeated the trick to make it a three-way tie at 12 under.
Aphibarnrat had picked a shot back up to get to 11 under and he was joined by Lowry, who birdied the fourth and sixth - the latter from 35 feet - and Donald who also birdied the fourth and then produced a delightful chip in from an awkward position on the fifth.
Meanwhile, Kjeldsen was left kicking himself as he saw birdie putts from inside 10 feet just miss on the fifth and sixth, failing to take advantage of some brilliant iron play.
Lowry then looked set to join the leaders on the par five seventh but he was left scratching his head as he missed from inside two feet for a birdie.
Donald also passed up the chance for birdie on the seventh after an excellent bunker save but Kjeldsen made his four to move ahead on his own before being joined by Zanotti who also birdied the 538 yard hole.
A bogey from Donald on the eighth dropped him back to ten under while McDowell saw his chances take a major knock on the 12th as he found the water and fell to nine under.
Kjeldsen's brilliant iron play continued as he flushed his second shot at the ninth to inside three feet and he was back out on his own again at 14 under.
But Zanotti followed him in and Aphibarnrat also made a birdie to get himself within two of the lead.
