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.
Duke of Edinburgh Stakes 2008 Handicap 1 mile 4 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 SUGAR RAY Ryan Moore Sir Michael Stoute Philip Newton 8/1
2 MAD RUSH Jimmy Fortune Luca Cumani Honorable Earle Mack 5/2 fav
3 KING CHARLES Kerrin McEvoy Ed Dunlop Khalifa Sultan 18/1
4 YOUNG MICK Robert Winston George Margarson M F Kentish 20/1
5 FURMIGADELAGIUSTA Johnny Murtagh Karl Burke Keep Racing 20/1
6 PROPONENT Steve Drowne Roger Charlton B E Nielsen 8/1
7 CAMPS BAY Jim Crowley Amanda Perrett Mr & Mrs R Scott 11/1
8 NIGHT CRESCENDO Mick Kinane Amanda Perrett John Connolly 16/1
9 PEVENSEY Graham Gibbons John Quinn Dum Spiro Spero 14/1
10 SMART INSTINCT Paul Hanagan Richard Fahey David & Jackie Knaggs 20/1
11 EZDIYAAD Richard Hills Marcus Tregoning Hamdan Al Maktoum 7/1
12 STRATEGIC MOUNT T Quinn Paul Cole Ben & Sir Maryn Arbib 33/1
13 CAPABLE GUEST Richard Hughes Mick Channon John Guest Racing 33/1
14 PINCH OF SALT William Buick Andrew Balding Hon Robert Hanson 33/1
15 PLAYERS PLEASE John Egan Mark Johnston N N Browne 33/1
16 COEUR DE LIONNE Ted Durcan Ed Dunlop The Lamprell Partnership 33/1
17 JADALEE Neil Callan Gerard Butler B Shrubsall & S Stefanou 50/1
18 GULF EXPRESS Jamie Spencer Sir Michael Stoute Saeed Suhail 16/1
19 EVIDENT PRIDE Dane O'Neill Brett Johnson Dempsey, Fitzpatrick, Nash 33/1
The Duke of Edinburgh Stakes took place on Saturday 21st June 2008 and the winner was a bay horse by Danehill out of Akuna Bay, won a first prize of £37,386 (equivalent to £51,000 in 2020).. Over round 130%
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 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008