Aalto turned the Betway Bunbury Cup into his own race again at Newmarket, coming from last to first under William Buick to win the 7f handicap by half a length. He started as the 4/1 favourite from stall 6, beat Back In Black into second and Elarak into third, and collected £51,540 from the good-to-firm contest that drew 13 runners.
The finish was the latest example of how the July Course suits a horse who needs a race to unfold the right way. Aalto’s official race comment said he was slowly into stride, raced in rear, made good headway over 1f out, then led inside the final 110 yards and stayed on well. That pattern matters at Newmarket in midsummer, where the Bunbury Cup rewards riders who wait, find a lane and deliver one sharp late run rather than forcing the issue too soon.
For Aalto, it also confirmed a very specific relationship with the race itself. He won the Bunbury Cup in 2024, was beaten only a nose by More Thunder in 2025, and came back to reclaim it in 2026. In a heritage handicap that has long been shaped by timing and traffic, that kind of consistency is what makes a horse more than just another summer handicapper. It makes him a horse with a venue, a trip and a date circled on the calendar.
The win placed Aalto in a tiny group of dual Bunbury Cup winners. Motakhayyel won it twice, in 2020 and 2021, while Mine captured it three times, in 2002, 2005 and 2006. Aalto is now the latest to join that list, and the distinction strengthens the case that the race is becoming his signature event rather than a single standout performance.
Ian Williams said Aalto “managed himself very well” and that the horse had “a lot of ground to make up” two furlongs out. Williams added that this is “just the time of year Aalto comes alive” and that, for a stable that primarily trains handicappers, major races like the Bunbury Cup are “really important.” He also said Aalto loves the July Course and hoped he could come back for another crack next year.
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