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 1934 Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 FLANGE F Fox Boyd-Rochfort Mr William Woodward 100/8
2 CORONADO T Lowrey B Jarvis Mr J P Hornung 20/1
3 LEICESTER LANE P Evans R J Colling Lt-Col Carruthers 100/7
4 NORMAN HERALD E Smith Sneyd Sir H Lyons 20/1
5 CELESTIAL CITY G Richards M Hartigan Mr R F Watson 100/30 fav
6 ST GALADALE T Ryan F Hartigan Mrs H E Beddington 25/1
7 SATSUMA J Dines Lawson Mrs Washington Singer 8/1
8 ROCK STAR G Nicoll Beatty Sir M Wilson 7/1
9 LA SOURICIERE M Beary Frank Butters Prince Aly Khan 8/1
10 THRAPSTON T Weston C Leader Lord Derby 9/1
11 FOXBRIDGE J Caldwell Cottrill Mr J V Rank 10/1
12 EFFACEABLE S Donoghue Cundell Mrs C Glorney 15/2
13 EPICURE J Sirett W Nightingall Mr F W Wilmot 25/1
14 BUNKAWAI W Rickaby Thrale Mr W Edwards 100/6
15 APRON BOY A Richardson Templeman Sir F Eley 100/7
16 HER EMINENCE D Smith Jack Jarvis Mr E Esmond 25/1
17 PARD C Spares J Scott Major A M Kerr 20/1
18 TRUSTEE R Perryman C Waugh Mr J S Austen 100/6
The Bessborough Stakes, forerunner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, otook place on Wednesday 20th June 1934 and the winner was a bay colt by Flamboyant out of Ballycumber, won a first prize which had a first prize of £1440 (equivalent to £105,000 in 2020). Over round 157%
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 1929
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934