The Queen's Vase is a Group 2 contest run over 1m6f. It takes place at 15:05 on Wednesday 18th June, which is the second day of Royal Ascot 2025. View the runners here, and also make sure to check out the odds and tips on offer for this race.

NO.DRAW
FORM

HORSE

ODDS

JOCKEY& TRAINER

AGE

WGT

RPR

9⁽⁷⁾

327-1

Scandinavia

J: Wayne Lordan

T: A P O'Brien

9-2

104

Unraced on firmer than good; 0-3 in maiden races as 2yo (runner-up in one at Newmarket) but made no mistake at the fourth attempt, when workmanlike at Navan (1m2f; at 1-2) on reappearance but he did eventually draw clear and looked sure to stay further; well related and his trainer has won this race eight times, albeit with his first string in seven; Shackleton is seemingly the first string now but there may not be much in it.

10⁽³⁾

2213-4

Shackleton

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O'Brien

9-2

101

109

Won a 1m1f Curragh maiden on good ground (unraced on firmer) on third start last year and took minor honours in 1m2f Group 3s on both starts since; 6-4 favourite when 3l fourth of five at the Curragh (good) on reappearance, already struggling to get to grips with the principals when he was hampered but he did stick to his task; jockey bookings suggest he's the first string for trainer who's been the dominant force in this race.

13⁽¹²⁾

5314-6

Too Soon

J: Rhys Clutterbuck

T: Gary & Josh Moore

9-2

108

Asserted in grand style in a conditions stakes at Epsom (8.5f, heavy) last September and better form when fourth of seven in Group 3 at Newmarket (1m2f, good to soft) 13 days later; 11-1 from 18-1 for Listed race at Goodwood (1m3f, good) on reappearance but never threatened to get in a blow and that leaves him with something to prove regarding trip, ground and class.

4⁽⁹⁾

31-64

Devil's Advocate

J: William Buick

T: John & Thady Gosden

9-2

107

119

Impressive 1m2f AW win on second 2yo run; flopped at Epsom (1m2f Listed race, good) on reappearance but his front-running fourth of 11 with first-time cheekpieces in the Group 2 Dante at York (1m2f, good to firm; beaten just over 3l) makes him the form pick in this field, he kept on well and his dam won a Group 3 over this trip.

6⁽⁸⁾

51-341

Hallelujah U

J: Jim Crowley

T: James Owen

9-2

Contested three handicaps this spring off marks in the high 70s, winning when upped to 1m4f in added cheekpieces last time (good to firm); while 1m6f looks plausible, it's hard to see him being anything like good enough.

5⁽²⁾

72-15

Furthur

J: Oisin Murphy

T: Andrew Balding

9-2

104

Won reappearance in a Newbury maiden (1m3f, good); 16-1 for Group 3 Chester Vase (1m4f, good) six weeks ago, put firmly in his place but that was by the subsequent Derby one-two and he finished almost alongside Pinhole, with reasons why both of them could do better (this one was unsettled early from wide draw); not entirely dismissed.

7⁽⁵⁾

51-4

Pinhole

J: Colin Keane

T: Ralph Beckett

9-2

105

9-2 co-second favourite in the Group 3 Chester Vase (1m4f, good) on return, finishing a never-dangerous 10l fourth of eight but the first two went on the fill the same positions in the Derby, the third has had Group-race entries this week and this colt left the firm impression that those were still early days for him; promising.

3⁽⁴⁾

Carmers

J: W J Lee

T: P Twomey

9-2

100

108

Made his debut less than six weeks ago but is now unbeaten in two 1m5f races on good ground, the latter a Listed race at Navan in which he gradually asserted in the last 2f to score by 3l as 6-4 favourite; blinkered in both; this race demands plenty more and some of the others look more stoutly bred but his ceiling has not yet been revealed.

1⁽¹⁾

7210

Al Wasl Storm

J: David Probert

T: Owen Burrows

9-2

First three runs were in maidens and he made all at Chester (1m4f, good); the Derby proved far too tough for him only 11 days ago and he was so comprehensively out of his comfort zone that this race too looks hard.

8⁽¹⁰⁾

1222

Rahiebb

J: Silvestre De Sousa

T: Roger Varian

9-2

108

Won debut in March (1m, AW) and progressive form when runner-up in all three of his races since, making most on penultimate start but picked off by a notable rival in the final strides; no match for the winner on handicap debut at York (1m4f, good to firm) on latest, in a manner suggesting he's likely get 1m6f but still needs marked improvement.

12⁽⁶⁾

1564

Titanium Emperor

J: David Egan

T: Adrian Murray

9-2

108

Tried 1m4f at Leopardstown (good; unraced on firmer) 13 days ago, keeping on into fourth behind Friday's King Edward VII hope Zahrann; that was up with his best form but it was also the third time he's been safely held in a Listed race (after AW win on debut); others have more pressing claims.

2⁽¹³⁾

212

Asmarani

J: Mickael Barzalona

T: F-H Graffard

9-2

105

109

Career started with second and first in 1m4f maidens at Saint-Cloud (very soft) this spring and he stayed on strongly in both; also found plenty to take second on the line in Group 3 at Longchamp (1m3f, soft) four weeks ago, so he brings respected form and leaves one of the strongest impressions of stamina reserves; faces very different ground here but "he goes in anything" reports his trainer; very much one to note.

11⁽¹¹⁾

Spinning Wheel

J: Harry Davies

T: Simon & Ed Crisford

9-2

106

Took novice events at Beverley (1m2f, good) in April and Yarmouth (11.4f, good to soft) three weeks ago; did it from the front last time, galloping on resolutely to score by a short head after strong challenges throughout the last 3f; he's not the form pick but shapes as if he's sure to stay.

RACING POST TIP

Asmarani

Aidan O'Brien's prolific success in the Queen's Vase ensures that Shackleton and Scandinavia are accorded plenty of respect but several other runners look at least as appealing judged strictly on racecourse performance. Devil's Advocate is unlikely to get away with showing quite so much dash as he did in the Dante but that result brings him clearly the highest rating in this field, while Pinhole (second choice) looked a work in progress in the Chester Vase when, as it turned out later, he was severely up against it anyway taking on the Derby principals. The best option of all, however, may well be the French challenger ASMARANI, who faces different ground conditions but is one of those to have acquitted himself with credit already at Group level and who also brings unmistakable pointers to a strength in stamina.

Royal Ascot Free Bets

Verdict

Past 10 Winners

Year	Horse [Draw]	Age	Weight	SP	Trainer	Jockey
2024	Illnois [5]	3	9-2	7/4F	A P O’Brien	Ryan Moore
2023	Gregory [5]	3	9-2	EvensF	John & Thady Gosden	Frankie Dettori
2022	Eldar Eldarov [3]	3	9-2	5/2	Roger Varian	David Egan
2021	Kemari [3]	3	9-0	15/2	Charlie Appleby	William Buick
2020	Santiago [5]	3	9-0	100/30	A P O’Brien	Ryan Moore
2019	Dashing Willoughby [6]	3	9-0	6/1	Andrew Balding	Oisin Murphy
2018	Kew Gardens [7]	3	9-0	100/30	A P O’Brien	Ryan Moore
2017	Stradivarius [9]	3	9-0	11/2	John Gosden	Andrea Atzeni
2016	Sword Fighter [4]	3	9-3	33/1	A P O’Brien	Colm O’Donoghue
2015	Aloft [12]	3	9-3	5/2F	A P O’Brien	Ryan Moore
2014	Hartnell [2]	3	9-3	7/2	Mark Johnston	Joe Fanning

Key race stats 2025

Key trends

Top-three finish last time, 9/10
By a sire with a stamina index in excess of 1m2f, 8/10
Adjusted RPR of at least 108, 8/10
Won within last two starts, 7/10
Rated within 8lb of RPR top-rated, 7/10

Other factors

The only trainers to have won this since 2000 are Sir Michael Stoute (three times), Saeed bin Suroor (twice), Mark Johnston (seven), Aidan O’Brien (eight), John Gosden (twice), Andrew Balding, Charlie Appleby and Roger Varian (all once).

Five winners ran in a Listed or Group race last time.

What happened in the Queen's Vase last year?

ILLINOIS became the third winning favourite in a row in the Queen’s Vase. The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt was sent off the 7-4 market leader on the back of finishing second to subsequent Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly in the Lingfield Derby Trial the previous month. Illinois, who was the mount of Ryan Moore, took a keen hold but was always well positioned and hit the front with two furlongs to run. He kept on best to lead home a one-two for the Ballydoyle stable in a course-record time, with stablemate Highbury finishing a length and a quarter back in second.

Queen’s Vase

15:05 Royal Ascot