The Queen's Vase is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 6 furlongs and 34 yards (2,847 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
History The event was established over a distance of 2 miles in 1838, and its original trophy was a gold vase donated by Queen Victoria. The race was initially confined to horses aged three, but it was opened to older horses in 1840. Its title was changed to the King's Vase in 1903, and it was given its current name in 1960.
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. It is one of three perpetual trophies at the meeting, along with the Royal Hunt Cup and the Gold 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 trained the winners of more races than anyone at the Royal meeting (75), including eight winners of the Queen's Vase.
Records Leading jockey (6 wins): George Fordham – Arsenal (1857), Sedbury (1858), Horror (1860), Marie Stuart (1875), Ambassadress (1881), Tristan (1882)
Leading trainer (8 wins): Sir Henry Cecil – Falkland (1972), General Ironside (1976), Le Moss (1978), Arden (1987), River God (1990), Jendali (1991), Stelvio (1995), Endorsement (1999)
Winners since 1900 Year Winner Jockey Trainer Time 1900 Solitaire Lester Reiff Fred Day 3:34.00 1901 Mackintosh Sam Loates William Waugh 3:34.00 1902 Ice Maiden Frank Hardy John Porter 3:50.20 1903 Zinfandel Mornington Cannon Major Beatty 1904 Bachelors Button William Halsey Charles Peck 1905 Bachelors Button Danny Maher Charles Peck 1906 The White Knight Billy Higgs Robert Sherwood Jr. 1907 Golden Measure Danny Maher Major Edwards 3:28.60 1908 Pillo Gabriel Tortorelo H Darling 3:28.00 1909 Amadis Walter Earl William Waugh 3:36.60 1910 Charles O'Malley Steve Donoghue Lewis 1911 Martingale II Henri Jellis Captain Dewhurst 1912 Tidal Wave Snowy Whalley Alfred Sadler 1913 Shogun William Huxley Richard Wootton 3:24.80 1914 Glorvina Josiah Prout George Lambton 3:27.40 1915–18No Race 1919 Silonyx Victor Smyth William Waugh 1920 Kentish Cob Joe Childs Alec Taylor Jr. 3:31.80 1921 Copyright Frank Bullock Basil Jarvis 3:26.40 1922 Golden Myth Charlie Elliott Jack Jarvis 3:24.80 1923 Puttenden Joe Childs Alec Taylor Jr. 3:31.20 1924 Audlem Charlie Smirke C Davis 3:33.20 1925 Kentish Knock Tommy Weston George Lambton 3:23.20 1926 High Art Ronald James George Dundas 3:40.40 1927 Adieu Michael Beary Walter Griggs 3:28.60 1928 Maid Of Perth Jack Sirett Fred Darling 3:35.80 1929 Covenden Rufus Beasley Tom Waugh 3:28.00 1930 Trimdon Bobby Jones Joseph Lawson 3:35.60 1931 Pomme D'Api Michael Beary Richard Dawson 3:33.00 1932 Silvermere Freddy Lane Walter Nightingall 3:30.00 1933 Gainslaw Tommy Weston Fred Leader 3:36.20 1934 Duplicate Frank Sharpe Norman Scobie 3:30.00 1935 Flash Bye Jack Sirett Joseph Lawson 3:37.40 1936 Rondo Peter Maher F Pratt 3:28.40 1937 Fearless Fox Eph Smith Jack Jarvis 3:27.00 1938 Foxglove II Gordon Richards Fred Darling 3:27.40 1939 Atout Maitre Walter Sibbritt Herbert Blagrave 3:29.40 1940–45No Race 1946 Look Ahead Doug Smith Cecil Boyd-Rochfort 3:39.60 1947 Auralia Doug Smith Reg Day 3:29.00 1948 Estoc René Bertiglia (Trained in France) 3:33.80 1949 Lone Eagle Doug Smith Cecil Boyd-Rochfort 3:30.20 1950 Fastlad Freddie Palmer (Trained in France) 3:27.00 1951 Faux Pas Eph Smith Joseph Lawson 3:28.60 1952 Souepi Charlie Elliott G R Digby 3:30.40 1953 Absolve Lester Piggott Victor Smyth 3:35.20 1954 Prescription Eph Smith Jack Jarvis 3:43.40 1955 Prince Barle Manny Mercer Joseph Lawson 3:34.38 1956 French Beige Geoff Littlewood Harry Peacock 3:33.88 1957 Tenterhooks Edgar Britt Charles Elsey 3:29.88 1958 Even Money Scobie Breasley Vincent O'Brien 3:27.60 1959 Vivi Tarquin Derrick Greening Seamus McGrath 3:33.48 1960 Prolific Duncan Keith Walter Nightingall 3:30.72 1961 Black King Eddie Hide Bill Elsey 3:41.90 1962 Pavot Joe Sime Paddy Prendergast 3:38.81 1963 Hereford James Hunter Herbert Murless 3:40.00 1964 I Titan M Giovannelli Noel Murless 3:31.21 1965 Beddard Joe Sime Herbert Murless 3:30.05 1966 Bally Russe Scobie Breasley Noel Murless 3:24.76 1967 The Accuser Frankie Durr Dick Hern 3:30.70 1968 Zorba II Ron Hutchinson Paddy Prendergast 3:30.68 1969 Tantivy Sandy Barclay Bill Elsey 3:31.09 1970 Yellow River Tommy Carter Scobie Breasley 3:27.88 1971 Parnell Ron Hutchinson Stephen Quirke 3:43.20 1972 Falkland Greville Starkey Henry Cecil 3:30.78 1973 Tara Brooch Pat Eddery Seamus McGrath 3:46.20 1974 Royal Aura Pat Eddery Peter Walwyn 3:28.41 1975 Blood Royal Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien 3:27.83 1976 General Ironside Lester Piggott Henry Cecil 3:26.74 1977 Millionaire Pat Eddery Peter Walwyn 3:37.07 1978 Le Moss Geoff Baxter Henry Cecil 3:29.65 1979 Buttress Willie Carson Dick Hern 3:31.56 1980 Toondra Paul Cook Michael Jarvis 3:39.49 1981 Ore Willie Carson Kevin Prendergast 3:29.26 1982 Evzon Lester Piggott Clive Brittain 3:25.01 1983 Santella Man Greville Starkey Guy Harwood 3:25.19 1984 Baynoun Willie Carson Fulke Johnson Houghton 3:30.69 1985 Wassl Merbayeh Richard Hills Harry Thomson Jones 3:27.23 1986 Stavordale Michael Roberts Harry Thomson Jones 3:28.38 1987 Arden Steve Cauthen Henry Cecil 3:37.02 1988 Green Adventure Greville Starkey Guy Harwood 3:24.40 1989 Weld Bruce Raymond William Jarvis 3:20.54 1990 River God Steve Cauthen Henry Cecil 3:26.15 1991 Jendali Steve Cauthen Henry Cecil 3:31.26 1992 Landowner Ray Cochrane John Gosden 3:25.29 1993 Infrasonic Pat Eddery André Fabre 3:46.47 1994 Silver Wedge Michael Hills Geoff Lewis 3:29.65 1995 Stelvio Michael Kinane Henry Cecil 3:28.64 1996 Gordi Michael Kinane Dermot Weld 3:28.75 1997 Windsor Castle Richard Quinn Paul Cole 3:29.48 1998 Maridpour Walter Swinburn Sir Michael Stoute 3:40.23 1999 Endorsement Kieren Fallon Henry Cecil 3:33.28 2000 Dalampour Kieren Fallon Sir Michael Stoute 3:36.27 2001 And Beyond Kevin Darley Mark Johnston 3:31.45 2002 Mamool Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 3:29.45 2003 Shanty Star Kevin Darley Mark Johnston 3:29.12 2004 Duke of Venice Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 3:29.14 2005 Melrose Avenue Kevin Darley Mark Johnston 3:21.20 2006 Soapy Danger Kevin Darley Mark Johnston 3:25.60 2007 Mahler Michael Kinane Aidan O'Brien 3:32.65 2008 Patkai Ryan Moore Sir Michael Stoute 3:27.86 2009 Holberg Joe Fanning Mark Johnston 3:24.13 2010 Mikhail Glinka Johnny Murtagh Aidan O'Brien 3:27.98 2011 Namibian Silvestre de Sousa Mark Johnston 3:40.97 2012 Estimate Ryan Moore Sir Michael Stoute 3:34.05 2013 Leading Light Joseph O'Brien Aidan O'Brien 3:25.26 2014 Hartnell Joe Fanning Mark Johnston 3:24.73 2015 Aloft Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 3:28.40 2016 Sword Fighter Colm O'Donoghue Aidan O'Brien 3:34.55 2017 Stradivarius Andrea Atzeni John Gosden 3:01.47 2018 Kew Gardens Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 3:00.89 2019 Dashing Willoughby Oisin Murphy Andrew Balding 3:07.86 2020 Santiago Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 3:05.67 2021 Kemari William Buick Charlie Appleby 3:04.02 2022 Eldar Eldarov David Egan Roger Varian 3:01.33 2023 Gregory Frankie Dettori John & Thady Gosden 3:03.13 2024 Illinois Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 3:00.57 2025 Carmers Billy Lee Paddy Twomey 2:59.532026Limestone Dylan Browne McMonagle Joseph O'Brien3.02.07
Earlier winners
1838: Mecca 1839: Mendizabal 1840: St Francis 1841: Satirist 1842: St Francis 1843: Gorhambury 1844: Alice Hawthorn 1845: Sweetmeat 1846: Grimston 1847: The Hero 1848: Gardenia 1849: Glenalvon 1850: Mildew 1851: Cariboo 1852: Leopold 1853: Rataplan 1854: The Hermit 1855: Oulston 1856: Fisherman 1857: Arsenal 1858: Sedbury 1859: Schism 1860: Horror 1861: Parmesan 1862: Tim Whiffler 1863: Adventurer 1864: Young Rapid 1865: Eltham 1866: Elland 1867: Mail Train 1868: Blinkhoolie 1869: Thorwaldsen 1870: Siderolite 1871: Christopher Sly 1872: Albert Victor 1873: Thorn 1874: Organist 1875: Marie Stuart 1876: Thunder 1877: Skylark 1878: Verneuil 1879: Isonomy 1880: Chippendale 1881: Ambassadress 1882: Tristan 1883: Border Minstrel 1884: St Gatien 1885: Thebais 1886: Bird of Freedom 1887: Quilp 1888: Exmoor 1889: Morglay 1890: Tyrant 1891: Mons Meg 1892: Martagon 1893: Convent 1894: Quaesitum 1895: Florizel II 1896: Pride 1897: Count Schomberg 1898: The Rush 1899: no race
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races
References Paris-Turf: , , , , , , Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
galopp-sieger.de – Queen's Vase. ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Queen's Vase (2019). pedigreequery.com – Queen's Vase – Royal Ascot.