Toothless, talentless and torched - punters are convinced this year's sprinters are no good, but is that really true?

Punters seem to think it is there for the taking. His jockey William Buick stirringly put it as being 'worth a try'. Whatever your thoughts, this July Cup centres on whether Notable Speech, last year's 2,000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes winner, can impose his obvious class over a mile on the current crop of sprinters.

No one seems all that concerned by a humdrum couple of efforts in Group 1 mile races this year. Nor has there been much discussion this week on the shortcomings of that division, whose participants are expected to get the palm leaves out for Field Of Gold when he rocks up in the Sussex. The story is established. These sprinters are no good, and any decent interloper who can go the early pace can have them.

This notion is not unique to the current sprinters, in fairness. There is an extensive history of horses dropping back in distance to win Group 1 sprints. Since the turn of the century, 68 horses have run in a Group 1 over six furlongs having run over seven and a half furlongs or further last time. Seven have won. That's a fair, if not stellar return, but it gets better as you drill down.