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Emerging Bathurst trainer Dean Mirfin is counting on Dashexpress to continue his rapid rise through the ranks in Sunday’s $20,000 Cootamundra Cup.

Mirfin has managed to turn around the fortunes of Dashexpress this campaign with four straight wins following a first-up second.

Mirfin, making his first trip to Cootamundra, is a trainer to watch with seven winners and four seconds from 14 runners this season.

Dashexpress has led in his recent races and Mirfin believes he will again acquit himself well.

“I rate him quite highly and he has the potential to win cup races like this,” he said.

“You don’t win four races in a row unless you have ability and I’m not frightened to be going there to take them on.

“He has gone up in class very quickly but he will be very competitive.”

“This is his toughest test, but I said to the owners before he won a race for me that he was up to country cups class.

“He is a different horse since he had a good spell and came back into training. The owners have had to be patient and they are reaping the rewards now.”

Mirfin said he came to train Dashexpress in something of unusual circumstances.

“The owners paid $1000 for him, but when he came off the transport truck they realised he looked nothing like the horse they bought,” he said.

“The wrong horse was dropped off and they had to chase down the transport and get the right horse off.

“He was a pretty ordinary looking and the one they were first left with looked the better.

“It’s funny how it has all worked out best for them.”

Dashexpress will again be ridden by Anthony Cavallo. Cavallo rode the galloper in one of his previous wins before apprentices took over when he climbed up in the weights.

There is a lot of depth in the Cootamundra Cup with Sonro in excellent form locally before finishing fifth at his latest start in Sydney, while Canberra-trained Fullerton, Regular Aussie and Street Ride are proven performers at this level.