We prove, in ZFC, that certain \(\varvec{\Sigma }^1_2\) functions cannot injectively embed \(\omega _1\) into a Borel class of fixed countable rank. This had been proved under determinacy or large cardinals by Harrington and Hjorth for all \(\varvec{\Sigma }^1_2\) functions. Our contribution is to identify conditions under which the determinacy and large cardinal assumptions can be removed. These conditions are sufficient for a recent use of the non-existence of \(\varvec{\Sigma }^1_2\) injections of \(\omega _1\) into Borel classes by Day and Marks.