Royal Ascot: Royal Hunt Cup

The Royal Hunt Cup was established in 1843, originally contested on a right-handed course over 7 furlongs and 166 yards, although the race's distance was shortened to 7 furlongs and 155 yards in 1930, but was then extended to its present length in 1956. It is now run on a straight course on the second day of the Royal meeting, and usually features a large field. It is one of three perpetual trophies at the meeting, along with the Gold Cup and the Queen's Vase, which can be kept permanently by the winning owners.
Early history:- The inaugural running took place on Wednesday 14th June 1843 when won by Lord Chesterfield's Knight of the Whistle (5/1), with a triple dead-heat for second between Lord Milltown's Bourra Tomacha (20/1), Mr Balchin's Epaulette (20/1) and Colonel Peel's Garry Owen (12/1).
Royal Hunt Cup 1981 Handicap 7 furlongs 155 yards
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 TEAMWORK G Starkey G Harwood Mr A Ward 8/1
2 GREENWOOD STAR A Murray Hunter Mr D Young 15/2
3 PRINCES GATE P Cook H Thomson-Jones Mrs R Vereker 11/1
4 TOWER JOY A McGlone L Cumani Mr P De Bouri 20/1
5 SILLEY'S KNIGHT E Johnson Hanson Mr Jack Hanson 33/1
6 BARONET B Rouse C Benstead Mrs F Harris 12/1
7 SILVER SEASON W Carson C Brittain Mr M Hassan 5/1 fav
8 ATLANTIC BOY W R Swinburn M Stoute Mr H Chaplin 8/1
9 IMPERIAL ACE L Piggott M Stoute Sir G White 11/1
10 SEVEN HEARTS D McKeown Hastings-Bass Mrs D Coker 11/1
11 GOLDEN ELDER P Eddery P Walwyn Mrs R Newton 12/1
12 CARPET GENERAL G Duffield M Prescott Mr R Speechley 14/1
13 GLOWING TAN J Matthias R Sheather Mr K Al-Sabah 14/1
14 TENDER HEART P Waldron J Sutcliffe Esal Commodities Ltd 20/1
15 CAPTAIN NICK B Taylor J Hindley Mr G Parkinson 33/1
16 BRAUGHING P Bradwell C Brittain Mr W Gredley 33/1
17 RED SEED S Cauthen Dahl Mr H Fretheim 33/1
18 HURRICANE HILL R Fox Musson Mr O Zawawi 33/1
19 CHIEF ADMIRAL J Lowe S Norton Mrs A Brook 33/1
20 SKIN DEEP P Blossier Musson Mr O Zawawi 33/1
This race took place on Wednesday 17th June 1981 and was won by a brown horse by Workboy out of Affirmative, winning a first prize of £13,577 (equivalent to £53,000 in 2020), which included a piece of plate valued at 500 sovereigns which was kept by the owner. Over round 135%
Royal Hunt Cup Handicap 1 mile 1843
      1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849
1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859
1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869
1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879
1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889
1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899
1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910 1911 1912 1913 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