Royal Ascot: Queen's Vase

The Queen's Vase was established over a distance of 2 miles for 3-year-olds in 1838, and its original trophy was a gold vase donated by Queen Victoria valued at 200 sovereigns. The race was opened to older horses in 1840, and after the death of Queen Victoria its title was changed to the King's Vase in 1903, but it was renamed the Queen's Vase in 1960 in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and for a period the Queen's Vase held Group 3 status. It was relegated to Listed class in 1986, and it was restricted to three-year-olds in 1987. It returned to Group 3 level in 1991 and was downgraded to Listed status again in 2014. However, in a move to recognise the importance of staying Flat races in the calendar the European Pattern Committee decided to upgrade the race to Group 2 status in 2017 while reducing its distance to 1 mile and 6 furlongs. The Queen's Vase is now contested on the second day of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting, and is one of three perpetual trophies at the meeting, along with the Gold Cup and Royal Hunt Cup, which can be kept permanently by the winning owners. The 2013 running was renamed the 'Queen's Vase in Memory of Sir Henry Cecil' in memory of Sir Henry Cecil who died on 11 June 2013. Sir Henry had, at that point, trained the winners of more races than anyone at the Royal meeting (75), including eight winners of the Queen's Vase.
Early history:- The inaugural running of the Queen's Gold Vase over 2 miles on the Swinley Course took place on Tuesday 12th June 1838 when the Lord Exeter owned Mecca (5/2 jt fav) defeated dead-heaters Morella (5/2 jt fav) and Seth (5/1).

Gold Vase 1840 Handicap 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Age/weight Owner
1 ST FRANCIS Jem Robinson Robert Pettit 5-9st 7lbs Mr Pettit 2/1
2 AMURATH Nat Flatman 3-6st 13lbs Lord Exeter 10/1
3 MULATTO colt W Day 3-7st 3lb Mr Etwal 4/5 fav
4 JEFFY Wakefield 3-7st 3lbs Lord Lynedoch 8/1
The Queen's Gold Vase took place on Tuesday 16th June 1840 and the winner was a bay horse by St Patrick out of Surprise, won a first prize of a piece of plate donated by Queen Victoria valued at 200 sovereigns, and stakes of 260 sovereigns from 13 subscribers (equivalent to £26,000 in 2020). Over round 108%
Queen's Vase Group 2 1 mile 6 furlongs 1838
                1838 1839
1840