A SMALL corner of York had special reason to celebrate after the University Boat Race.

Former St Peter's School, York, pupil Alastair MacLeod was in the Cambridge reserve crew, Goldie, which beat the Oxford reserve crew, Isis, in the reserve race.

MacLeod's eight won by 12 seconds over the gruelling four-and-a-quarter-mile course on the Thames from Putney to Mortlake and, interestingly, they clocked a time one second faster then their seniors, who won the major boat race in front of about 250,000 spectators lining the river banks.

MacLeod learnt to row at St Peter's, where he was also captain of the rugby union team.

He is now in his second year at Cambridge reading Natural Sciences, fitting in a gruelling training programme - with 11 sessions per week since September - around his studies.

The rowing standard there is high. Three of the Cambridge squad were already world or Olympic champions with several others having competed for their countries.

Just making the reserve crew is tough. There were regular selection spots over the six-month build-up to the Boat Race, where members of the squad were dropped. Just before Christmas, both universities hold Trial Eights Races' over the Boat Race course after which another cut was made.

At that stage, St Peter's School had two ex-pupils involved, with Matthew Suggitt also competing in one of the Oxford crews. He just missed making the Isis reserve crew, but was one of the race reserves.

By Christmas, there were 22 men left chasing 16 places, cut from a starting number of around 60 hopefuls. After a two-week training camp in Spain over New Year, more testing and selection took place with the crews finally announced in late February.

Even after that, Cambridge swapped their coxes only two weeks before the race.

In the Goldie versus Isis (reserve) race, Isis made an aggressive start and led for the first six minutes. But Goldie always looked smoother and more relaxed and, as the second corner drew in the Cambridge crew's favour, a series of bursts put them ahead with clear water between the crews.

Goldie led from about the three-mile point, eventually crossing the line 12 seconds ahead.

Their seniors rowed 30 minutes later, with Cambridge coming back to win by just over three seconds.