History
The event was established 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.
The Queen's Vase is now contested on the fourth 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.
Read more about this topic: Queen's Vase
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