Royal Ascot: Duke of Edinburgh Stakes

The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes is a flat handicap over 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards open to horses of three-year-old and up. The race was previously known as the Bessborough Stakes and was named after John George Brabazon Ponsonby, 5th Earl of Bessborough, who was Master of the Buckhounds on three occasions between 1848 and 1858 under Lord John Russell, Lord Aberdeen and Lord Palmerston. The first race under the original name of the Bessborough Stakes, was a five-furlong race for two-year-olds run on Tuesday 16th June 1914. The title was later bestowed on a mile and a half handicap race at the same meeting. In 1999 the race was renamed in honour of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, although the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes had previously been used for a two-year-old race at Ascot, with Sea Pigeon a former winner who later landed the Champion Hurdle.
Early history:- The inaugural running of the Bessborough Stakes, a forerunner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, was over 5 furlongs on Tuesday 16th June 1914 when Mr W Astor's Good and Gay (100/8) defeated Rossendale (10/1), Scotch Rose (100/6) and 13 others by a head and 2 lengths.
Bessborough Stakes 1928 Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 TOUREEN S Wragg R W Colling Mr E M Smith 20/1
2 HEIR APPARENT F Lane Moreton Mrs L Schaverien 10/1
3 ARCHWAY E J Morris Molony Mr C Wadia 100/15
4 ADIEU M Beary Wal Griggs Mr F W Horlock 8/1
5 ELCHO J Sirett T Cannon Sir W Gilbert 10/1
6 THE BROWN TALISMAN S Donoghue Atty Persse Sir H Meux 100/12
7 ERYTHREOS K Robertson Watson Mr A De Rothschild 100/12
8 ROYAL FALCON G Richards F Darling Mrs G H Drummond 4/1 fav
9 VOLTA'S PRIDE R Perryman W Nightingall Mr E L Short 25/1
10 LABADENS A Burns L Ward Maharajah of Rajpipla 25/11
11 OLD ORKNEY F Fox Gooch Mr J Murphy 25/1
12 VALOIS C Elliott Jack Jarvis Sir G Bullough 20/1
13 LULWORTH COVE Harry Wragg Beatty Lady Curzon 20/1
14 ORIENTAL KNIGHT J Dines S Darling Mr H Pulitzer 8/1
15 GIPSY KING P Donoghue C Leader Mr J B Leigh 25/1
16 YUTRILL R James Whalley Mr S A Barry 25/1
17 BUOYANT BACHELOR W Alford Jack Jarvis Mr C W Gordon 25/1
18 BESSBOROUGH A Berry Basil Jarvis Mr W R Lysaght 25/1
19 TROUBADOR A Richardson Sneyd Mr C Glorney 25/1
20 RATHNALLY T Weston F Hartigan Baron F de Tuyll 25/1
The Bessborough Stakes, forerunner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, otook place on Wednesday 20th June 1928 and the winner was a brown horse by Tetratema out of Laverocki, won a first prize which had a first prize of 830 sovereigns (equivalent to £44,000 in 2020). Over round 150%
Duke of Edinburgh Stakes Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs 1914
        1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928