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 1961 Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 THAMES TRADER A Breasley Staff Ingham Mr S Wootton 100/7
2 HATTON GARDEN B Jones G Todd Mr G St G Stedall 100/6
3 REDOUBT J Mercer R J Colling Lord Astor 100/6
4 OFF KEY L Piggott Murless Sir V Sassoon 11/2 fav
5 NARATIOUS LAD R P Elliott Masson Major P Magor 7/1
6 OPTIMISTIC Neil Sellwood Boyd-Rochfort HM The Queen 10/1
7 ELF ARROW D Kieth Stickley Miss F Newton-Deakin 100/9
8 STEPHANIE G Bourgoure M V O'Brien Major J Paine 100/8
9 SNUFF BOX J Lindley C J Benstead Mr J de Las Casas 100/7
10 MENELEK E Smith G Brooke Major D McCalmont 100/7
11 GREEN GABLES E J Cracknell Wallington Mr H Rubin 100/8
12 AZURINE W Williamson J Oxx Miss E Laidlaw 100/6
13 POETIC LICENCE W Carr Cottrill Mr P Winstone 20/1
14 NO SAINT B Lee W Hern Major L B Holliday 20/1
15 FANGIO D W Morris E Goddard Mr C Kemball 20/1
16 ROSLYN D Yates T Leader Mr H Joel 20/1
17 HONEST BOY Haine E Cousins Mr K Wheldon 25/1
18 LIGHT HORSEMAN D Smith J F Watts Lord Derby 25/1
19 IRON BLUE G Starkey J Oxley Sir F Robinson 25/1
20 FULMINATE J Sime F Armstrong Mr G Tachmindji 25/1
21 TERRA NOVA P Tulk F Armstrong Mr L Brown 25/1
22 RIPLEY S Clayton P Nelson Mr C Hughesdon 25/1
23 POLAR DANCE R Hutchinson Budgett Colonel Wright 25/1
24 MUNGO PARK Robinson J Jarvis Lord Rosebery 25/1
25 TAILLEFER L C Parkes Budgett Mrs J Benskin 25/1
The Bessborough Stakes, forerunner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, took place on Wednesday 14th June 1961 and the winner was a bay horse by Honeyway out of Ballochbuie, won a first prize which had a first prize of £1833 (equivalent to £42,000 in 2020). Over round 156%
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 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960 1961