Itchintogo with 7-day back-up

GOLD COAST – Tony Gollan is following a proven formula with Itchintogo in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1,200m) at Gold Coast on Jan 17.

Six of the past 15 winners of the A$3 million (S$2.58 million) Listed feature have raced on the seven-day back-up, despite only accounting for just 16 per cent of the total runners.

Itchintogo, who was an A$60,000 purchase at the 2025 Gold Coast March Yearling Sales, was an easy 4.6-length winner of the Gold Nugget (1,100m) at the Gold Coast on Jan 10.

It was a run that Gollan said he needed to have.

“I’m really happy with him. It was always the plan, the seven-day back-up,” said the 12-time Brisbane champion trainer.

“When he won the Phelan Ready, I just thought he did a bit wrong that day.

“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 back-up.

“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 (did it) with Sunlight, he did it by design.”

Gollan won the Magic Millions with Skirt The Law in 2023, whom he scratched from her main lead-up and instead went in fresh, but said Itchintogo had more mental furnishing to do.

“I just felt I had to off that win in the Phelan Ready, he just did a bit wrong,” said Gollan.

“I was a bit nervous going to 1,200 (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 Gollan said he will 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,” he 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 14-1 chance in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, behind unbeaten colt Warwoven at 4-5.

However, the latter is under a fitness cloud. SKY RACING WORLD