Jimmy Fortune will ride Sagitta 2000 Guineas outsider Mastermind in Saturday's race, it was announced today.
The Paul Cole-trained colt, quoted at 50-1 by William Hill for the first Classic, has not run since winning at Newmarket last July but has been pleasing connections in his recent work on the gallops.
Tim Jones of owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing said: "Mastermind works tomorrow and the plan is to go for the Guineas with Jimmy Fortune riding.
"He was a bit sore after he won and he was still growing and developing so we thought we would save him and hold on to him.
"He has done tremendously well over the winter and with the Guineas being such an open race this year we thought we'd give it a go.
"He has been working really well and has had a good preparation over the last couple of weeks.
"We chose not to run him in a trial because the ground conditions have been up in the air so much."
Mastermind won convincingly on the July Course last year, beating leading Kentucky Derby hope The Deputy and Winning Venture.
Jones added: "Obviously The Deputy has improved significantly since then but the race has worked out well with Winning Venture running a good race in the Greenham (third) so Mastermind deserves to be there - he's not a 50-1 chance."
Highclere Thoroughbred Racing also own Sagitta 1000 Guineas favourite Petrushka, who is now 6-4 with Ladbrokes for the fillies' race following her impressive success in the Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket last month.
Jones said of the market leader: "She worked yesterday and the work-watchers were out and reported she went nicely - all is well.
"We are looking forward to an exciting week."
