Pas De Reponse is the value wager in today's £150,000 Darley July Cup. With the biggest field this century for the Group One Newmarket sprint, punters must tread warily in a race that has produced plenty of shocks down the years.

Diktat and Elnadim, the market leaders, are there to be shot at.

The former gained his first Group victory when winning the Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot and is a typically over-hyped three-year-old. In any case, his trainer may yet withdraw him because of forecast fast ground.

Elnadim is smart, but not necessarily smarter than all of these and has not run since finishing third to Bolshoi in the Tripleprint Temple Stakes at Sandown in May.

Bolshoi is on a roll after subsequently triumphing in the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and must be respected but Pas de Reponse, a proven Group One performer, is the one who really catches the eye.

Criquette Head's French raider was hot favourite for the Prix de l'Abbaye and was only just denied by Carmine Lake, beaten half a length after attempting to make all.

She was a smart three-year-old over a variety of trips, finishing fourth to Sleepytime in the 1,000 Guineas (started favourite) in which she pulled much too hard for her own good.

This year Pas de Reponse has finished five lengths second to Sainte Marine over five furlongs at Longchamp and, at the same venue, a head runner-up to Hidden Meadow in a seven-furlong Group Three race.

Both those runs suggested that six furlongs may now be her optimum trip. Mrs Head won this race with Anabaa in 1996 and Pas De Reponse gets the nod over Carmine Lake, who has been difficult to train.

On an outrageously difficult card, Jo Mell is suggested in the £30,000-added Ladbroke Bunbury Cup. Tim Easterby's gelding is very consistent and illustrated his class when winning the Tote Festival Handicap at Ascot last year, comfortably beating Kayvee by two and a half lengths.

He has been running up to his best in good company of late, finishing one and three-quarters second to Nigrasine in a Listed race at Haydock and then third to Andreyev in a similar contest at Newcastle.

Lovers Knot added her name to the harem of mile classy fillies in the ownership of the Cheveley Park Stud with an emphatic victory in the Group Two Amcor Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket yesterday.