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 1869 Handicap 2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Age/weight Owner
1 THORWALDSEN John Osborne Tom Dawson 3-7st 7lbs Mr J Johnstone 5/1
2 MORNA Mordan John Porter 3-7st 2lbs Sir Joseph Hawley 5/2
3 LANCET Maidment Gilbert 3-7st 2lbs Mr H Savile 100/15
4 ST MUNGO Jeffery Waugh 3-7st 7lbs Mr James Merry Evens fav
The Queen's Gold Vase took place on Tuesday 8th June 1869 and the winner, a chestnut colt by Thormanby out of Lady Ripon, won a first prize of a piece of plate valued at 200 sovereigns, and stakes of 80 sovereigns from 4 subscribers (equivalent to £34,000 in 2020). Over round 109%
Queen's Vase Group 2 1 mile 6 furlongs 1838
                1838 1839
1840 1841 1842 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