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 1997 Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 ZARALASKA Pat Eddery Luca Cumani Fittocks Stud 8/1
2 NABHAAN Richard Hills David Morley Hamdan Al Maktoum 14/1
3 WILLIE CONQUER Tony Clark Reg Akehurst Raymond Tooth 14/1
4 MAZUREK Paul Eddery Martin Pipe Kammac Plc 13/2
5 TYKEYVOR Gary Stevens Lady Herries Seymour Bloodstock 10/1
6 HUMOURLESS Frankie Dettori Luca Cumani Sheikh Mohammed 6/1 fav
7 HOH EXPRESS Michael Hills Ian Balding D F Allport 14/1
8 ROKEBY BOWL Martin Dwyer Ian Balding Paul Mellon 20/1
9 WILD RITA Dane O'Neill William Muir Perspicacious Punters Racing 25/1
10 DOCKLANDS LIMO Gary Bardwell Brian McMath Mrs Lisa Olley 33/1
11 OOPS PETTIE Ray Cochrane Julie Cecil Mrs D Macrae 11/1
12 GROUND GAME Olivier Peslier David Loder Mrs P T Fenwick 16/1
13 BETTER OFFER Mick Kinane Amanda Perrett Seymour Cohn 16/1
14 FAR AHEAD Rodney Lappin Les Eyre Sunpak Potatoes 25/1
15 KUALA LIPIS T Quinn Paul Cole Sultan Ahmad Shah 25/1
16 ROCKFORCE Richard Hughes Mick Channon G Z Mizel 25/1
17 FILIAL Brett Doyle Brian Meehan Miss J Semple 33/1
18 BERLIN BLUE John Carroll J W Watts Sheikh Mohammed 20/1
19 WAHIBA SANDS Kevin Darley John Dunlop Cheveley Park Stud 9/1
The Bessborough Stakes, forerunner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, took place on Wednesday 18th June 1997 and the winner was a chestnut horse by Shernazar out of Eskimo Spring, won a first prize of £29,180 (equivalent to £54,000 in 2020).. Over round 129%
Duke of Edinburgh Stakes Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs 1914
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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
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997