Work to do for Triggs-Hodge and Reed in Munich

ANDY Triggs-Hodge and Peter Reed have suffered their first major setback as a pair, as they failed to book an automatic place in the final at the Munich World Cup.

In the single three-time Olympic champion Katherine Grainger also failed to win her heat, but her third place finish was good enough to secure a place in the final.

Triggs-Hodge and Reed on the other hand, having been beaten in their heat by New Zealanders Eric Murray and Hamish Bond must race in a repechage tomorrow if they are to have any chance of reaching the final and adding another victory to their gold medals from the season's opener in Banyoles.

By contrast, nine of the GB crews won their heats, including a stand-out performance from the men's quadruple scull of Marcus Bateman, Charles Cousins, Bill Lucas and Sam Townsend.

The quartet timed their race perfectly to surge past a strong German crew in the final 400m to win and take the one qualifying place on offer for Sunday's final.

Meanwhile, Annabel Vernon and Anna Bebington came from behind to edge past early leaders New Zealand and Bulgaria and win their double scull heat.

Alan Campbell won his single scull heat that he led from start to finish while Matt Wells and Stephen Rowbotham were also comfortable in victory.

"I think that's the first time in race that we've led from the very first stroke", said Wells. 

"We suspected it might be comfortable so we decided to go out and dominate from the start".

GB's other heat winners were the men's lightweight single and double sculls, the women's lightweight double scull, the men's four and the women's pair.