Hallgarten and Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes (G3)
Newbury - Saturday 18th July 2026
Symbol Of Honour made a return to winning ways in Saturday’s G3 Hallgarten and Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes at Newbury. He showcased his earlier ability that he showed as a three-year-old which saw success over this course and distance in the Carnarvon Stakes and a Group 2 win in the Sandy Lane at Haydock.
His long stride was key to his victory in the 2026 Hackwood Stakes, with an average stride length of 26.39 ft, which was over a foot larger than any of his rivals. The nature of Newbury’s course was paramount to his success because he is suited by a fast, flat 6 furlongs, The flat track lets him extend and quicken without having to shorten his stride due to any undulations or a bend. His average stride length is 2.4 ft larger than an average course and distance winner, meaning he will have gained a greater advantage from the flat, galloping nature of the track as it allows him to maximise his top-end speed, which combined well with the good-to-firm ground he encountered. His jockey suggested post-race that his mount had come forwards from his run at Newcastle, where he returned after a four-month break since racing in Meydan over the winter. This could be seen in the way he went about winning his race as he saw the trip out better than in the Chipchase Stakes the time before.
He made good headway from the 2f marker and then took it up with a furlong to go from the long-time leader, Noble Champion. Symbol Of Honour recorded the fastest top speed in the race of 42.9 mph, showing a good turn of foot in a race that developed to suit those horses who were tracking the pace. This was backed up by the fact that he recorded the 2nd fastest average late speed at 39.2 mph, which was only topped by the fast finishing second who was held up in a steadily run affair (Mitbaahy 39.5 mph)
The runner-up Mitbaahy, who is usually a hostage to fortune, ran the fastest final two furlongs after being held up last in the early stages. This didn’t suit how the race panned out. The race’s finishing speed percentage of 101.5% shows the race being evenly run, which allowed more prominent runners like Symbol Of Honour to quicken off an even gallop and left little chance of the pace collapse which would’ve suited his running style better. He was over two lengths faster in the closing stages than the rest of the field, which can be seen in his fast-finishing efforts, clocking the fastest average late speed of 39.77mph. As is the norm with Mitbaahy, he needs to be held up as he is usually slowly away and so he can be incredibly frustrating to watch. In his last two races, he has run faster final furlongs than the winner and still come up short.
With the winner being highly tried at the top level, I would assume that this performance produced here probably limits the level of this form for the runners in behind. Symbol Of Honour has shown that he is a solid performer at this level, without quite being able to take the step into Group 1 company. For the likes of Binhareer, who was having his first run in graded company, he could be given another chance in this grade or possibly if connections lowered his sights into top level handicaps on softer conditions, as his best performances of his career so far have come on softer ground and in bigger fields. After running in this contest, if he were to return to a race with slightly calmer waters like the Ayr Gold Cup, he would make some appeal.