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 1988 Handicap 7 furlongs 155 yards
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 GOVERNORSHIP John Reid C R Nelson R E A Bott Wigmore Street 33/1
2 GHADBBAAN Michael Roberts Alec Stewart Hamdan Al Maktoum 9/1 co fav
3 BURKAN Billy Newnes Neville Callaghan F M Kalla 40/1
4 SILVER HAZE Ray Cochrane Sally Hall Thomas Hunkeler 10/1
5 ATHENS GATE Nick Connorton J W Watts Mr R Sangster 14/1
6 START RITE Tony Ives Bill O'Gorman T Mohan 14/1
7 BOLD PILLAGER Willie Carson John Dunlop Dexam International 14/1
8 GOLD PROSPECT Steve Cauthen G Balding Harvey Spack 14/1
9 BATTLEAXE Richard Fox James Toller C Coleridge-Cole 50/1
10 MISS SARAJANE Tony Culhane Reg Hollinshead Gordon Smyth 33/1
11 SINGLE Pat Eddery Bill Wightman A G Lansley 10/1
12 CUVEE CHARLIE Mark Rimmer Hugh Collingridge Richard Davies 20/1
13 BALTHUS Dean McKeown Jeremy Glover E Bennett 25/1
14 BOLDDEN Ernie Johnson Jack Hanson Sir Robert Ogden 25/1
15 AFSHOUN Walter Swinburn Sir Michael Stoute HH Aga Khan 14/1
16 CHIMES OF THE DAWN John Lowe Steve Norton Charles Cyzer 14/1
17 MY BUDDY Kevin Darley F Jordan Gwyn Roberts 14/1
18 RUMBOOGIE Cash Asmussen Clive Brittain A J Richards 50/1
19 HARD AS IRON Gary Bardwell Patrick Haslam Martin Dickens 14/1
20 MISS CUDDLES John Williams G Balding Mrs Sheila Freeman 33/1
21 STONEBROKER Russell Price Derek Haydn Jones Edwards & Cartwright 50/1
22 ACONITUM Geoff Baxter John Jenkins Topline Ltd 50/1
23 BARCLAY STREET Nigel Day I V Matthews Lord Matthews 25/1
24 INAAD Richard Hills H Thomson Jones Hamdan Al Maktoum 9/1 co fav
25 RED DOLLAR N Adams Brian Gubby Brian Gubby 50/1
26 GILDERDALE Paul Cook Nick Vigors J S Hobhouse 12/1
This race took place on Wednesday 15th June 1988 and was won by a chestnut gelding by Dominion out of Angel Beam, winning a first prize of £29,731 (equivalent to £82,000 in 2020), which included a piece of plate valued at 500 sovereigns which was kept by the owner. Over round 137%
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 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988