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 1986 Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 CONVINCED A Clark G Harwood Mr J Thompson 14/1
2 RUSSIAN NOBLE W R Swinburn M Stoute Sheikh Mohammed 4/1
3 WESTERN DANCER P Cook C Horgan Mrs G Stone 15/2
4 STATELY FORM P Eddery J Tree Mrs M Niarchos 7/2 fav
5 ROMIOSINI Kim Tinkler Nigel Tinkler Full Circle Thoroughbreds 10/1
6 DUAL VENTURE A Murray J Fitzgerald Mr A Soulsby 8/1
7 EFFIGY G Starkey G Harwood K Abdulla 10/1
8 PUBBY M Roberts J Toller Mr A Morrison 14/1
9 SILENT JOURNEY L Charnock J W Watts Mr R Sangster 16/1
10 WELL COVERED A Culhane R Hollinshead Mr K Tomlinson 25/1
11 LINE OF FIRE Paul Eddery P Walwyn Mr J Hambro 33/1
12 THE FOOTMAN A Mercer D Elsworth Miss D Macken 33/1
13 SAMHAAN J Lowe B Hanbury Mr O Zawawi 40/1
14 MOON JESTER D McKay M Usher Mr T Marshall 66/1
15 VOUCHSAFE W Carson W Hern Lady Beaverbrook 9/1
The Bessborough Stakes, forerunner of the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes, took place on Wednesday 18th June 1986 and the winner was a bay horse by Busted out of Affirmative, won a first prize of £10,051 (equivalent to £30,000 in 2020). Note that Vouchsafe was first passed the post followed by Convinced and Russian Noble, but after a Stewards Inquiry Vouchsafe was disqualified and placed last. Over round 126%
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