WHILE the University Boat Race hopefuls continued preparation for their Trial Eights races, the Oxford colleges had opportunities for their new intake to race at the Nephthys Regatta, writes John Wiggins.

No college can be more pleased than Keble, where head coach John Redos took delight in seeing his boat club win the Victor Ludorum Trophy after two days of racing on the River Isis over the 1,000m course upstream from Long Bridges.

Keble had two wins from the eight categories on offer, including the senior women.

They also provided the losing finalists – by a margin of a third of a length –in the novice eights.

Double victories were also achieved by Corpus Christi (senior and lightweight men’s fours) and Jesus College in the senior men’s eight and women’s four.

Frustration for Eddie Rolls in the losing Pembroke four was eased as he went on to win the men’s single over Oriel by three lengths.

Wolfson took the novice women’s eight by two lengths over Linacre.

l Headington School enjoyed success in the Hampton Small Boats Head.

Their celebrations came with victory for Katie King-Smith and Elizabeth Haskins in the school/junior double scull.

There were also Headington runners-up places for King-Smith in the J18 single as well as the J16 double and J17 single.

Falcon RC’s Ed Sharp, competing for Magdalen College School, won the J15 single, with schoolmate Archie Licudi in third.

Radley College’s best position at Hampton was fourth for their junior double though they were beaten on time by their J16 counterparts Theo Metcalf and Ned Rae Smith.

The school’s top rowers were at the first of the GB junior trials.

Racing over the 5km course at Boston, both pairs – Archie McChesney and Joshua Bowesman-Jones together with Max Senior and Max Dunlap – finished in the top five to the delight of their new head of rowing, Olympian, Sam Townsend.

Headington School’s Danielle Semple was 12th in her single scull.