OXFORD’S Trial Eights race yesterday failed to produce a repeat of the exciting contest provided by the Cambridge squad on Monday, but the battle between the Cowboys and Indians crews still provided plenty to whet the appetite for a compelling Boat Race on March 27.

The Cowboys included in their ranks five Americans and three Blues, while the Indians boasted three Blues but the company of only one overseas member in Barney Williams, the Canada Olympic rower.

The Cowboys eight, on the Surrey station and stroked by Andy Hodge, the Great Britain Olympian, surged to a three-quarter-length lead after one minute. They stretched this out to two lengths at the mile mark and from there, in spite of continued spurts by Williams and his Indians, moved steadily on to a 16-second, four-length victory in 16min 57sec.

The split-course times over the two days showed the two universities’ leading boats to be of very similar speed for the first ten minutes. Yesterday, though, Oxford experienced rougher conditions, both from wind and a passing harbour master’s boat, before the finish, where the Cowboys recorded a time 16 seconds slower than that of Cambridge.

Sean Bowden, the Oxford coach, said that he would have preferred a closer contest for his men and spoke of the quality of the Cambridge squad. “They have a lot of depth,” he said.

CREWS: Indians: Bow, J Anderson (Abingdon and Keble); 2, N Thomas-Peter (King’s, Worcester and Balliol); 3, R Esmond-Frej (St Paul’s and Oriel); 4, J Von Maltzahn (Eton and Kellogg); 5, P Reed (Cirencester Deer Park and Oriel); 6, C Smith (Prince Edward, Zimbabawe and Oriel); 7, R Bourne-Taylor (Abingdon and Christ Church); stroke, B Williams (University of Victoria and Jesus); Cox, N Brodie (Abingdon and St Catherine’s). Cowboys: Bow, J Sattlemair (Tabor and Exeter); 2, A Keats (Ventura Senior and Brasenose); 3, A Brennan (Episcopal Academy Merion and Pembroke); 4, D Livingston (Hampton and Christ Church); 5, C Liwski (Syracuse University and St Catherine’s); 6, M Blomquist (Phillips Academy and St Peter’s); 7, H Morris (Radley and Magdalen); stroke, A Hodge (North Staffordshire University and St Catherine’s); Cox, A Nethercott (Mark Hall and University).