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 1971 Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 HARDBAKE R Hutchinson J Dunlop Miss G Lawson 10/1
2 LADY LOWNDES E Johnson S Hall Mr R Sigtia 11/2
3 BLACK SKY Des Cullen C Benstead Mr G Newman 14/1
4 CARMINE CITY G Baxter Budgett Mr J Lambton 8/1
5 SOVEREIGN RULER Pat Eddery Blagrave Mr H G Blagrave 4/1 fav
6 GLOUCESTER B Taylor Cottrill Sir Peter Oppenheimer 15/2
7 SESTREL P Waldron Kenneally Mrs J Reitmann 11/1
8 RIBSTON G Sexton Denys Smith Mr J Winter 13/1
9 SISODAN M L Thomas Ryan Jarvis Mrs I Griggs 14/1
10 LEVANDALE E Hide Elsey Mr S Tennant 16/1
11 BELLE ROYALE Geordie Ramshaw Prescott Lady Macdonald-Buchanan 16/1
12 HRIMFAXI W Carson B Hills Mr M Scott 16/1
13 CANTLIE C Leonard L Kennard Mr S Hunt 16/1
14 NEGUS R Reader Candy Mr R Watson 16/1
15 VICOMTESSE G Lewis P Nelson Sir B Mountain 18/1
16 TENTADOR B Jago Dale Mr E Cohen 20/1
17 WEST PARTISAN Michael Kettle F Nagle Mrs Florence Nagle 20/1
18 LACROMA J Lynch Rayson Mr V Hardy 20/1
19 ST COLUMBUS A Murray Armstrong Mrs J Bryce 20/1
The Bessborough Stakes, forerunner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, took place on Wednesday 16th June 1971 and the winner was a bay gelding by Hard Sauce out of Sun Feast, won a first prize which had a first prize of £3294 (equivalent to £48,000 in 2020). Over round 152%
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 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971