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 1914 Handicap 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 GOOD & GAY J Clark Taylor Mr W Astor 100/8
2 ROSSENDALE Henri Jelliss Hazleton Sir John Thursby 10/1
3 SCOTCH ROSE E Huxley Wootton Mr E Hulton 100/6
4 LADY SYM King Pickering Mr P Nelke 33/1
5 CHINA BLUE Bullock Day Sir Abe Bailey 33/1
6 CHAPEL BRAMPTON H Randall Robinson Lord Hamilton 10/1
7 HALF A GLASS Steve Donoghue Atty Persse Captain D McCalmont 25/1
8 POMMERN Wal Griggs Bartholomew Mr Solly Joel 20/1
9 STRATHGIBBY Freddie Fox Atty Persse Sir E Cochran 20/1
10 THE DESPOILED C Foy W Halsey Sir E Cassel 20/1
11 DRUID Fred Rickaby George Lambton Lord Derby 10/1
12 POLYSTONE W Huxley Morton Mr J Joel 7/4 fav
13 GOLDEN RAIN Herbert Jones Robinson Colonel Hall-Walker 5/1
14 HARWOOD Walter Earl J Cannon Mr L Wenens 33/1
15 TATRMAN Wheatley F Hartigan Mr R Sherwood 33/1
16 ESPLANDIAN N Spear F Butters Sir B Sheffield 33/1
The inaugural running of the Bessborough Stakes, forerunner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, over 5 furlongs for two-year-olds, took place on Tuesday 16th June 1914 and the winner, Good and Gay, a bay filly by Bayardo out of Popinjay, won a first prize which had 500 sovereigns added and stakes of 10 sovereigns from at least 16 subscribers (equivalent to £77,000 in 2020), beating Rossendale, Scotch Rose and 13 others by a head and 2 lengths. Over round 127%
Duke of Edinburgh Stakes Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs 1914
        1914