Tony Gollan is sticking to a well-worn path with Itchintogo as the colt lines up in Saturday’s Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) on the Gold Coast.
Six of the past 15 winners of the $3 million feature have contested the race on a seven-day backup, despite those runners making up only a small portion of the overall field.
Itchintogo, a $60,000 purchase from the 2025 Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, comes into the race off a dominant 4.6-length victory in last week’s Gold Nugget, a run Gollan said was crucial to his preparation.
“I’m really happy with him. It was always the plan, the seven-day backup,” Gollan said.
“When he won the Phelan Ready, I just thought he did a bit wrong that day and I wanted to take my time with him and get him back and get him to that race last Saturday, to back up into this.
“It’s been a great formula. Arguably, over the last 15 years, it’s the best formula. So many horses have done the seven-day backup.
“A lot of horses have done it because they had to to get into the race. I’ve done it by design – I remember when Tony McEvoy with Sunlight, he did it by design.”
Gollan won the Magic Millions Classic with Skirt The Law in 2023 after going in fresh, but said Itchintogo required further mental development.
“I just felt I had to off that win in the Phelan Ready, he just did a bit wrong,” Gollan said.
“I was a bit nervous going to 1200 (metres) at Eagle Farm (in the B J McLachlan) with him if he was going to do things wrong. Last week, he didn’t leave out any concerns for me.
“He was always precocious, up and going.
“The horses that get to this race, the ones I’ve had in the previous years, they’ve just kept improving into the race and he’s on that same trajectory.”
Itchintogo has drawn barrier 11 with Ryan Maloney to ride and Gollan said the colt will be allowed to use his natural speed.
“It’s tricky. I mean, I would rather draw one, but he’s got good gate speed, he’ll put himself on pace,” Gollan said.
“I find the pace of the race a little bit hard to assess this year. Normally, you’ve got four or five horses that have led and won their last start, it’s not the case this year.
“Most of these horses have taken a trail, ridden with cover, and have a turn of foot. So I’m not sure who’ll be up there, but I’ll be bouncing out and trying to leave out my barrier quickly.”
Markets are open with leading Australian betting sites for the Magic Millions 2yo Classic as the field takes shape.
Itchintogo is rated a $15 chance in the Classic, with unbeaten colt Warwoven holding favouritism at $1.80.
The post Tony Gollan’s two-year-old Itching To Go first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
