Wallingford excelled in winning the men's junior quads at the 550-strong Fullers Fours Head from Mortlake to Putney.

They won with a crew of home-grown talent - nurtured by coach Ben Townsend - apart from Simon Steele, who arrived from Magdalen College School 12 months ago.

Oxford Brookes were one of only two clubs to win two trophies and also good enough to finish second in two other battles.

Their wins came for the women's senior 2 quad and the men's senior 2 coxed fours, the latter coming home 11 seconds faster than the Oxford University winners of the Senior 1 category.

Boat Race pointers went largely in the direction of Oxford, whose men produced three impressive elite coxed fours. Two of them beat Cambridge's equivalent, who were, it must be said, beset with illness and crew changes.