Last-time-out winners hold the call having been responsible for half of the last 18 winners which is an excellent return given they supply, on average, around 25% of the total runners. Given the handicap has become much more condensed of late (nothing carried under 9st last season), weight stats have started to become irrelevant in a race where it usually paid to oppose those towards the lower end of the handicap.

Up until 2006 the Duke Of Edinburgh Stakes had been a punter’s handicap with 14 consecutive winners going the way of a contender from the front six in the betting but it has got tricky lately as four of the last seven winners have started at 12-1+. The favourite, however, did come out on top last season for only the second time in two decades. Maybe look to those hunting up the market leader, notably the second, third and fourth favourites that have won 11 of the last 18 runnings.

Just two horses older than five have been successful in the last 24 years and it is the four-year-olds that hold the edge over five-year-olds in terms of winners but they have a very similar strike rate as they outnumber their rivals so there is no real edge picking between the pair.

Fox Hunt gave Mark Johnston his third Duke Of Edinburgh winner two years ago following on from previous triumphs in 2001 and four years ago where he also supplied the runner-up for good measure so his is a name very much to watch out for as is Sir Michael Stoute who has saddled four winners and three seconds from his last 14 runners. John Oxx has been quiet so far this season but as his two runners have produced a winner and a third, look twice should be bring over a contender.

Horse	Best	Lto	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Blue Surf	109	109	70	80	86	82	--
Beaumont's Party	109	109	99	101	60	--	--
Voodoo Prince	105	83	89	88	71	105	--
Opinion	103	103	83	--	--	--	--
Sir Graham Wade	103	74	85	39	66	--	103
Caravan Rolls On	102	102	91	--	--	--	--
Silver Lime	101	91	101	97	--	--	--
Art Scholar	99	59	(--)	--	(70)	88	88
Lahaag	99	99	55	97	90	--	--
The Tiger	97	97	(53)	(84)	(76)	69	74

LTO Speed: Blue Surf 109 Beaumont's Party 109 Opinion 103

I'm going to give an each-way shout to BEAUMONT'S PARTY in this year's 19-runner Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap, as he rates joint top on the clock with a last time out speed rating of 109, is a tough and consistent sort who can act on any ground, and as a son of High Chaparral, out of a mare by Bering, is bred to keep on improving as he gets older. Rye House didn't post a fast time when scoring readily on his reappearance at York last month, but has a big chance today's under ideal race and pace conditions.

This year's Duke Of Edinburgh Handicap is predicted to be run at a slow early gallop, as only one of the 19 runners likes to go from the front. Run over a distance of twelve furlongs, not even the trip will save those horses that sit too far out of their ground during the early stages. This puts at peril late closing types such as Buckland, Stencive, Art Scholar, Caravan Rolls On, Highland Castle, Hanoverian Baron and The Tiger. I'd rather focus instead on the in-form and possibly fast-improving RYE HOUSE, who has plenty of natural speed at his disposal, and is likely to use it to good effect this afternoon.

Prince Philip became the Duke of Edinburgh on the morning of 20 November 1947. That afternoon he married Princess Elizabeth, heir to the British crown. Since February 1952, when the Princess became Queen Elizabeth II on the death of her father King George VI, the Duke, who was born into Greek royalty but became a citizen of the UK before his wedding, has been at the heart of the Royal family's enduring success. And nobody can doubt the House Of Windsor's popularity after the public enthusiasm that accompanied this month's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The Ascot race that bears the Duke of Edinburgh's name was initially run in 1999, but it has firm roots in a previous event called the Bessborough Stakes. The Bessborough originates from 1914, when it was a five-furlong contest for two-year-olds. However, it has gradually evolved and now, in its present guise, it is a mile-and-a-half handicap open to runners aged three years and upwards.

Somewhat appropriately, given his aristocratic bearing and a more-than-passing resemblance to the Duke of Edinburgh himself, John Dunlop was among the more successful trainers during the latter part of the 20th century. He landed the Bessborough with Billion (1978), Stratford Ponds (1989) and Son Of Sharp Shot (1995) and has had several decent cracks at the event since its change of title.

Sir Michael Stoute and Mark Johnston are the most successful trainers since the name switch, though, each having notched three wins. Stoute has scored with Blueprint (1999), Notable Guest (2005) and Sugar Ray (2008), while Johnston has collected thanks to Takamaka Bay (2001), Drill Sergeant (2009) and Fox Hunt (2011).

GROUND CONDITIONS
 
Official going: Good to firm (3mm of rain overnight). GoingStick readings: stands’ side, 9.4, centre 9.3, far side 9.5, round course 8.2.
 
Weather: It was bright from mid-morning until just before the first. Then rain arrived.
 
MORNING PRICES
 
5-1 Rye House (withdrawn), 8-1 Caravan Rolls On, Lahaag, 9-1 Ustura, 10-1 Hammerfest, Opinion, Stencive, 14-1 Highland Castle, 16-1 bar.
 
BETTING MOVES
 
In the absence of morning favourite Rye House, Caravan Rolls On and Stencive vied for favouritism.
Highland Castle and Opinion were popular at each-way prices.
Beaumont’s Party and Lahaag, shortened up when the original market-leader came out, drifted as off-time approached.  
 
RACE LINE-UP
 
Each of the last ten winners of this contest had been aged four or five, so four runners – Art Scholar, Beaumont’s Party, Hammerfest and Hanoverian Baron – had recent history to overcome. Seven winners in the same period had made the first three on their latest start and, given that statistic, just eight needed to be evaluated by scrupulous trends followers after Rye House, the morning favourite, was withdrawn. Three other four- and five-year-olds had notched a win on their latest run – Deia Sunrise, Highland Castle and Ustura – and the last two on that short list figured prominently in the betting. Those from the same age groups with a last-time first-three-placed performance to their credit included Lahaag, Communicator and Opinion.
   
HOW IT PANNED OUT
 
OPINION, partnered by Ryan Moore after his first-choice mount Rye House was withdrawn, took this contest at odds of 8-1.
The winner needed his tongue-tie adjusted before the start, but it was his rivals who were left breathless in the closing stages.
Stencive (5-1 favourite) did best of them, coming home a two-length second, with Ustura the same margin back in third and Caravan Rolls On fourth.
Sir Graham Wade set the early pace – and it looked a strong one – ahead of Ustura, Opinion and Blue Surf.
The order did not change an awful lot until the home turn, where Sir Graham Wade showed signs of struggling and Caravan Rolls On moved forward.
Ustura was still going strongly with 2f left, but Opinion went past him at that stage and kicked hard for home.
Stencive, in rear for much of the journey staged a late challenge too, but he was unable to get to Opinion, who stayed on strongly.
 
RACE POINTERS
 
Opinion had promised to win over this distance when third at the Guineas meeting and, with the addition of a tongue-tie, proved he stays it well.
Harry Herbert, representing the owners, suggested he might even handle 1m 6f and aim for the Ebor.
After that, the Melbourne Cup is apparently not out of the question for a colt who works at home with one-time Derby favourite Telescope.
Stencive already had a success over the trip to his name and he seems the best guide to the form.
It might be argued that he was not helped by his high-numbered draw – 20 – and giving him credit for a little more than he showed may be in order.
That said, he was given a clever tactical ride by Frankie Dettori, so beefing-up his performance too much might not be wise.