So Darn Hot

His record at that level tells its own story: 2 wins from 7 races at Class 2, a 29% win rate that holds up remarkably well when you consider the quality he is routinely taking on. He broke his duck at Doncaster in November 2024, and jockey Benoit de la Sayette's words afterwards stuck — "he felt the other horse come to him and found another gear." That is a rare quality in a racehorse. Some horses panic when challenged; So Darn Hot appears to relish it.

He then backed that up with back-to-back wins in January and February 2025 at Newcastle and Lingfield, both Class 2 races on the all-weather surface. The Lingfield win was particularly eye-catching: trainer Ed Walker admitted he did not expect victory, given the horse was carrying significantly more weight than last time and racing without the cover horses often need in that kind of race. He won anyway. Walker's note that So Darn Hot is "by Too Darn Hot and his progeny love a good fight" feels like the most revealing thing said about him — this is a horse built for competition, not for easy days.

Ed Walker has had a productive season, sending out 80 winners, and So Darn Hot fits the profile of a yard that knows how to place a horse well and keep improving one. Walker has spoken about trying him over a mile at some stage, having spent most of his career over seven furlongs. His most recent run was just a day ago, keeping his season ticking along, and with recent form reading 7-12-5-3-1-3, there are clearly better days ahead when everything clicks. He last won at Windsor in June 2025 — 11 months ago now — but nothing in his profile suggests the well has run dry. He remains exactly the kind of horse who makes a race worth watching.