Hungerford Stakes 2026 Runners, Draw and Odds
The £165,000 Visit Malta Hungerford Stakes brings together established Group performers and an intriguing group of three-year-olds at Newbury on Saturday 15 August.
Hungerford Stakes 2026 race details
| Detail | Hungerford Stakes 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday 15 August 2026 |
| Course | Newbury |
| Scheduled time | 15:10 |
| Distance | 7f, straight |
| Class | Group 2 |
| Age | 3yo+ |
| Prize money | £165,000 |
| Confirmed entries | 11 |
| Final declarations | 10am, Thursday 13 August |
| Current going shown | Good to Firm |
| 2025 winner | More Thunder |
Newbury confirms the increased £165,000 prize fund and 11 horses at the latest confirmation stage, while the Racing Post currently lists the race for 15:10 over Newbury’s straight seven furlongs on Good to Firm ground.
Hungerford Stakes 2026 runners and current odds
Never So Brave heads a compact but deep group in which the leading three-year-olds receive 6lb from older colts and geldings.
| Horse | Age | Trainer | Jockey* | OR | Guide odds** | Quick view |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Never So Brave | 5 | Andrew Balding | David Probert | 114 | 7/2 | Class drop after Sussex Stakes |
| Coppull | 3 | Clive Cox | Hector Crouch | 114 | 4/1 | 6lb age allowance; first try at 7f |
| Symbol Of Honour | 4 | Charlie Appleby | William Buick | 110 | 5/1 | Recent Hackwood winner at Newbury |
| Witness Stand | 5 | Dr Richard Newland | Saffie Osborne | 111 | 11/2 | Runner-up in this race last year |
| Extremely Zain | 3 | William Haggas | TBC | 103 | 7/1 | Progressive; three wins from four |
| Prince Of India | 4 | Marco Botti | Pat Dobbs | 111 | 8/1 | Drops from July Cup company |
| Morris Dancer | 3 | John & Thady Gosden | TBC | 108 | 10/1–12/1 | Jersey Stakes third |
| Holguin | 6 | Hamad Al Jehani | TBC | 109 | 14/1–16/1 | Proven seven-furlong performer |
| Northern Champion | 3 | Ed Walker | TBC | 107 | 16/1–20/1 | Chester winner this season |
| Sukanya | 3 | Jack Channon | TBC | 104 | 20/1–25/1 | Course-and-distance Group 3 winner |
| Back In Black | 4 | James Fanshawe | Daniel Muscutt | 96 | 25/1–40/1 | Needs a career-best at this level |
*Jockey bookings shown where currently listed; final declarations remain pending.
**Guide prices checked on 12 August and vary between bookmakers. Odds can move significantly before Saturday.
Hungerford Stakes favourites: the leading contenders
Never So Brave
Never So Brave brings the joint-highest official rating in the current field at 114.
Andrew Balding’s five-year-old was second in the Criterion Stakes before finishing sixth behind Bow Echo in the Group 1 Sussex Stakes. Dropping from a mile back to seven furlongs and from Group 1 to Group 2 company immediately makes him one of the most obvious runners in the field.
The question for bettors is price rather than ability.
At around 7/2, there is not much room for another merely respectable performance.
Coppull
Coppull is one of the most interesting horses in the race. Clive Cox’s colt won the Richmond Stakes as a juvenile, took the Pavilion Stakes at Ascot this season and subsequently finished fourth in the July Cup.
He now tackles seven furlongs for the first time. Crucially, Coppull receives the three-year-old allowance and is set to carry 9st 2lb compared with 9st 8lb for the older colts and geldings. If the extra furlong suits, he has the raw rating to make that allowance count.
Symbol Of Honour
Few arrive with a cleaner course angle. Symbol Of Honour returned to winning form in the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes over six furlongs at Newbury on 18 July and now steps back up to seven.
Charlie Appleby and William Buick are an obvious combination to respect, while his ability to operate on this track removes one of the uncertainties facing several rivals. The question is whether seven furlongs proves quite as effective as six.
Witness Stand
Witness Stand already has an important box ticked: he has run extremely well in this exact race.
He finished second to More Thunder in the 2025 Hungerford and returns to Newbury rated 111. The 2025 result shows More Thunder beating him by two and a quarter lengths on Good to Firm ground. That course-and-distance evidence makes Witness Stand easy to include on any shortlist.
Extremely Zain
Extremely Zain is the potential improver. William Haggas’ three-year-old has won three of his four starts and already has winning Newbury form. His first defeat came when fourth in the valuable International Handicap at Ascot last month.
That Ascot run is particularly relevant for BetBrothers readers because we covered him before that race in our Moët & Chandon International Handicap preview.
The step from handicap company into a Group 2 is significant, but Haggas has won the last two editions of the Hungerford — Tiber Flow in 2024 and More Thunder in 2025 — and Newbury notes that Extremely Zain would be bidding to give the yard a third consecutive victory and fifth overall.
Hungerford Stakes 2026 betting picks
This is the section to revisit once the final stalls and bookmaker prices settle. At the confirmation stage, four horses offer different ways into the race rather than one obvious must-bet favourite.
| Profile | Selection | Bet | Guide odds | Why it appeals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🛡️ Safer angle | Never So Brave | Win | 7/2 | Joint-highest OR and drops from Group 1 level |
| ⚡ Weight angle | Coppull | Win | 4/1 | High-class 3yo receiving 6lb from older males |
| 📍 Course angle | Symbol Of Honour | Win | 5/1 | Arrives off a Newbury Group 3 success |
| 💰 Value angle | Extremely Zain | Each-way* | 7/1 | Progressive profile plus powerful Haggas race record |
*Each-way terms depend on the final number of runners and bookmaker. Check terms after declarations.
Prices are guide prices from the early market on 12 August 2026 and are subject to change. The current market has Never So Brave and Coppull towards the head of the betting, followed closely by Symbol Of Honour and Witness Stand. Final declarations can change both the shape of the race and the price. Compare the market again after 10am on Thursday rather than betting from an outdated ante-post list.
Our early Hungerford Stakes verdict
Never So Brave is the horse to beat, but Symbol Of Honour may be the more interesting price.
Never So Brave has the rating and strongest recent level of opposition, yet his early position near the head of the market already reflects much of that advantage.
Symbol Of Honour offers a different case. He has recent winning Newbury form, arrives in better immediate form than several rivals and is available at a bigger guide price.
Coppull is arguably the most dangerous horse in the race if the additional furlong unlocks further improvement.
And Extremely Zain is the one whose price could look very different if the market decides William Haggas has another Hungerford improver on his hands.
Early shortlist
Symbol Of Honour — preferred price-versus-profile angle
Never So Brave — strongest conventional form case
Coppull — major threat if staying seven furlongs
Extremely Zain — progressive outsider worth monitoring
Bet now!
