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 1989 Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 STRATFORD PONDS Pat Eddery John Dunlop M F Sanderson 10/1
2 BUTLERS WHARF Jimmy Quinn David Morley Bill McAlpine 50/1
3 FIRELIGHT FIESTA Tyrone Williams Mark Tompkins Mrs John Lamb 9/1
4 THETHINGABOUTITIS Bill Shoemaker Geoff Lewis Doublet Ltd 8/1
5 PONTEVECCHIO NOTTE George Duffield G Pritchard Gordon Walter Mariti 4/1 fav
6 LOREN'S COURAGE Willie Carson Guy Harwood Samuel Lyon 5/1
7 MY LAMB John Reid R Johnson Houghton Mrs J De Rothschild 11/1
8 ROYAL SQUARE Tony Clark Guy Harwood Mrs C A Clevitt 16/1
9 NIKITAS Denis McKay Miss A J Whitfield Mrs Peter Liddiard 25/1
10 COWLEY Pat Eddery Geoff Wragg Sir Philip Oppenheimer 12/1
11 TURGOT Ron Hillis Geoff Huffer A R Al Mulla 16/1
12 LIGHT ROMANCE Brett Doyle Clive Brittain Ray Richards 20/1
13 VERSAILLES ROAD Frankie Dettori Mrs Lester Piggott Mrs Joyce Wood 12/1
14 GAASID Walter Swinburn Reg Akehurst Eric Parker 8/1
15 INAAD Richard Hills H Thomson Jones Hamdan Al Maktoum 10/1
16 BARAZ Michael Roberts Robert Armstrong Hamdan Al Maktoum 12/1
17 HAUWMAL Chris Rutter D A Wilson Robin Lawson 14/1
The Bessborough Stakes, forerunner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, took place on Wednesday 21st June 1989 and the winner was a bay horse by High Top out of Opinion, won a first prize of £11,963 (equivalent to £30,000 in 2020).. Over round 148%
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 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989