Tony Gollan is sticking with a tried-and-tested approach as Itchintogo lines up in Saturday’s Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast.
The seven-day backup has delivered six of the past 15 winners of the $3 million feature, despite representing only a small portion of total runners.
Itchintogo, a $60,000 buy from the 2025 Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, comes off a dominant 4.6-length win in last week’s Gold Nugget.
“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 said the colt still had some mental development to come compared to his 2023 winner Skirt The Law.
“I just felt I had to off that win in the Phelan Ready, he just did a bit wrong,” Golan said.
“I was a bit nervous going to 1200 (metres) at Eagle Farm (in the BJ 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 aboard and is expected to be ridden positively.
“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.”
Itchintogo is rated a $15 chance, with unbeaten colt Warwoven heading the market at $1.80.