Caulfield Guineas hopeful Frankel My Dear is the major market mover for today’s Listed $120,000 Essendon Nissan McKenzie Stakes (1200m) at The Valley.

Azazel, above, is well in the market for the McKenzie Stakes at The Valley. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

As much as $26 was bet about Frankel My Dear at Ladbrokes.com.au when the final field for the McKenzie Stakes was released on Wednesday and now on race morning the Robbie Laing trained Frankel colt is well in the market at $8.

Laing said that Frankel My Dear had shown significant improvement since his debut fifth in a 1000m three year old Handicap down the Flemington on August 5 and matched strides with his Group 1 placed mare Missrock in a gallop at The Valley on Tuesday morning.

“He has been beaten 1.3 lengths (at Flemington), the sectional times said that he ran his last 200m in 10.9 secs and I think he has improved,” Laing told RSN’s Racing Pulse.

“Six or seven weeks ago I would never has thought of galloping him with Missrock and yet out at The Valley on Tuesday morning they worked terrific together.”

“He was there next to her the whole way and I thought he travelled really well next to her.”

“As long as he is within striking distance on the corner he will run home hard.”

A good performance in the McKenzie Stakes will see Frankel My Dear head towards Group 3 $175,000 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on October 1 and then hopefully into the Group 1 $2m Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield a fortnight later.

The James Cummings trained Bandipur sits at the top of the McKenzie Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au at $3.70 with five of the remaining ten runners under double figure odds.

The Tony McEvoy trained Azazel heads the rest at $6.50 ahead of Overshade at $7, Lone Eagle and Muraaqeb at $7.50 and Frankel My Dear at $8.