TAKE A chance on Danehill Dancer in today's Group One £100,000-added Darley July Cup at Newmarket. It often pays to side with a runner stepping back in trip for this six-furlong contest which has often been won by horses with form over longer distances such as Ajdal, Soviet Star and Royal Academy in recent years.

Milers often possess the speed to be fully effective in this sphere and can be hard to beat unless there is an exceptional sprinter around. There is no sign yet of a potential Abernant or Moorestyle among this season's five and six-furlong performers.

Popular ante-post choices Pivotal and Mind Games beat little of Group One standing when first and second respectively in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and have yet to prove themselves outstanding sprinters.

And French raider Anabaa has also yet to show the form usually required to win this race in an average year. So it is no surprise to see Neville Callaghan attempt to plunder this event with Danehill Dancer.

The colt proved he had trained on well when a comfortable winner of the Greenham Stakes at Newbury in April. But he cut little ice in the 2000 Guineas and its French equivalent subsequently hence his return to sprinting. He has looked to have more pace than stamina this term and this could prove his best chance of another victory in the top grade.

Almuhimm has already shown the benefit of a drop in trip. A modest middle-distance maiden last year, he has picked up good quality handicaps at Newmarket and Newcastle since switched to seven furlongs by Ed Dunlop this season.

He still looked some way ahead of the handicapper last time and could well complete a hat-trick in the Ladbroke Bunbury Cup (Handicap).