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Trainer Dean Mirfin has thought for about a year that Scopics is an ideal horse for the $150,000 Newhaven Park Central Districts Country Championships (1400m) at Mudgee on Sunday and he says the gelding is on track to fire.

Scopics actually contested the race last year at his fourth start and ran a respectable fourth behind Dean Mirfin said he's producing a better horse than that day.

The Bathurst trainer has three runners in the Mudgee feature, East Harlem and Ida's Rules take their place and he said he would run maiden Tokyo Run if he gains a start, with Scopics the leading contender.

"We threw him in the deep end last year based on the fact he'd had those couple of starts and looked really promising,'' Mirfin said.

"Twelve months later he's a much nicer horse, more furnished.

"We're pretty happy with him, it was a good win first-up and his second-up run there were excuses for his performance on the day. He seems to be bright and well within himself."

The gelding won at Kembla Grange first-up then Mirfin elected to take him to a TAB Highway at Randwick, instead of the Championships Preview on his home track, two weeks ago and he saw more of the outside fence than the inside.

"I wasn't sure about the track conditions at Bathurst, all the way along I was just ging to run him in the Preview,'' he said.

"The Highway was available and I thought maybe if we put him on the truck for a trip away it would be good for him but then we drew 15 and it made it a tough decision.

"I probably regret it to some point that I took him down because he sat four and five wide the whole way."

An ideal barrier has Mirfin confident Scopics, $8 with TAB on Saturday, has the right set up to bounce back and have his best chance to earn his spot in the $1 million Final.

"His racing pattern isn't set in stone so I guess we come out neutral and allow the race to unfold,'' he said.

"In a perfect world he'd be running somewhere between sixth and ninth, just behind the speed getting some cover, and getting clear air in the straight."

Mirfin said East Harlem will be ridden to be right on the pace to offset a wide barrier and feels if the in-form gelding finds the right run he'll be capable of giving cheek.

He has placings behind Country Championships rivals Lockdown Gamble and Life's A Party either side of his Parkes win in January which keeps him in the mix.

"He'll go forward from that alley and hopefully there's a couple that go quick and he can somehow slot in behind the speed,'' Mirfin said.

"It'll be all in the hands of Ash (Morgan) and how the race unfolds. There's no point going back with him because you'd have to go right back.

"Both those horses beat him fair and square but he has good form over seven furlongs and it's more suitable than the 1200m.

"He's earned his ticket into the race and he'll be there somewhere down the running. At the 100m mark he won't be far away."

Ida's Rules jumps to 1400m after a win over 1100m on a heavy track at Bathurst but Mirfin said being a sister to stablemate Island Press he's confident the trip is within reach and will be ridden to be hitting the line.

"She's a mare I've always had a massive opinion of,'' he said.

"She's been contesting the lead in races and wilting in the end but twice in her life she's missed the start, got right back, and won.

"We'll ride her conservatively this time and hopefully she can get some cover. I'm expecting her to run well."

It's unlikely maiden galloper Tokyo Run will sneak into the Country Championships field but in 12 months time Mirfin is adamant he'll be the best horse of the quartet and would expect him to take beating in the Byrnes Jewellers Handicap (1400m).

Mirfin sent the gelding, narrowly beaten first-up over 1100m on his home track. to the Victoria Derby last preparation and he features in a number of three-year-old feature race nominations so that says he has a lofty opinion.

"He's probably a better horse in the making than the other three,'' he said.

"We think he goes pretty well, he has a good turn of foot and can be strong late. The one thing is he'll run the seven furlongs right out."