A GOLD NUGGET STROLL FOR ITCHINTOGO

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 10, 2026

It was more like a track-work gallop than a serious race contest for the Tony Gollan trained Itchintogo in the AQUIS Magic Millions Gold Nugget at the Gold Coast on Saturday and it came with a healthy untroubled $87 000 boost to his prize-money earnings, not a bad gig if you can get it for an exercise purely and simply designed to help bring the son of Sun City to his peak in the $3 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic at the same track next Saturday.

The gelding had finished in second place on debut on November 15 … finishing 1.75 lengths behind Zip Lock, a fellow Two-Year-Old Classic contender. Both of these runners underlined their potential by winning their respective follow-up starts when stepping up the heat … Itchintogo saluting in the Listed Phelan Ready on December 6, while Zip Lock, notable, went all of the way to Group 3 company to take out the B J McLachlan Stakes on December 27 to remain unbeaten.

That was Zip Lock’s last strike before heading straight to the Classic … but Gollan had identified a trait with Itchintogo that he wanted to sort out, and he felt, to do that, Itchintogo needed another run before the millions and the top trainer orchestrated a plan around that knowing exactly what he wanted to do with the horse all the way up to the Classic race-day.

Gollan had pinpointed Itchintogo’s keenness, both in his Phelan Reay win and in his work at home, as a possible factor of concern moving forward.

“He has just been a bit too racy at times,” Gollan told Racenet before the Gold Nugget run. ”To get the 1200m strongly on Magic Millions day, he has just got to execute things a bit better."

That was Gollan looking after the small matters that can so often make the difference between delight and disappointment.

The run in the Gold Nugget would help the cause of teaching Itchingtogo to settle better and give him a look at the Gold Coast track in preparation for the Classic … effectively killing two birds with one stone … to have the colt right where he wants him as this, the most important part of the big race buildup.

“I wanted to have him in this after he won the other day. Bringing him here got that freshness off him and we can give him an easy week and give ourselves a chance to give it a shake next week,” said Golan after the Gold Nugget win.

According to jockey Ryan Maloney’s feedback, the plan worked.

“I just loved the way he relaxed today. Even when Wootton You Know came up outside, he didn’t want to overdo it which he did the other day. That holds him in good stead going into next week,” said Maloney.

And Gollan could not have been more pleased, although Itchintogo’s restrictive starting price of $1.60 in the six-horse field in the Gold Nugget did play slightly on his mind.

“It always a little bit nerve wracking with these young ones when they’re this short. He did a bit wrong last time and he did a bit wrong in the jump out in between, but we were really happy with him in the last 10 days,” said Gollan.

“Tuesday, the way he carried himself, I came here really pleased with him. He paraded sensational and obviously he had a class edge on these. I love the way he executed the race today and that is the best he’s been for us.

“He’s changed and grown through the prep which is unusual for a two-year-old in work. His muscle tone is great. His health is great.

“He’s a quick horse and he can get going. If he can do that next week, he’ll put himself in a really good spot.

“The seven-day back-up will do this horse the world of good. The stats on doing that have been phenomenal. I’m really looking forward to the next seven days.”

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