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Murwillumbah racecourse will be the setting of a reunion on Sunday. The last time Beaudesert trainer Darlene Duryea, jockey Brad Stewart, and six year old gelding Ongoing Venture headed south over the border they won the 2014 Murwillumbah Cup.

That winning team will be back to compete in the Victory Financial Services Cup Prelude (1800m) on Sunday as a first step towards the defence of the Cup crown.

If Ongoing Venture wins on Sunday he will have denied several of his rivals a sure fire way of securing a berth in next month's $33,250 Murwillumbah Cup (2020m) on June 21.

The winner of the Cup Prelude is an automatic qualifier but as reigning champion the son of Encosta De Lago is already assured a start if connections choose to run him.

Darlene Duryea said a second Murwillumbah Cup assault would depend on his form in the lead-up on Sunday.

“The Murwillumbah Cup's been on my mind, but he hasn't had much luck of late," she said.

“He's versatile enough, and he's going well with his track work."

Earlier this month Ongoing Venture had a chequered run in the Toowoomba Cup, finishing midfield, after being runner-up in a Benchmark 85 handicap at Doomben in April.

“He got into a tight spot at Toowoomba, though he was still coming home late. It wasn't a bad run,” Duryea said.

Enhancing his Prelude is his chances is his inside gate which is a distinct advantage over from the 1800m start at Murwilumbah.

Another former Murwillumbah Cup winner in the Cup Prelude is Castlemagne King.

The rising 10 year old's local track statistics read six starts for two wins but his form has been modest since resuming last month.

The veteran has started in every Murwillumbah Cup since winning the race in 2012 and took out the Cup Prelude in a canter last year.

Another who has shown a liking for the track is the topweight War Ends who won last month over 1530m followed by a midfield finish in the much tougher Listed Prime Minister's Cup at the Gold Coast. He was then runner-up at Ballina.

The 1200m Tursa Employment & Training Newmarket Prelude is the other feature event on Sunday with last year's winner Hydrazine seeking a double.

The Helena Page-trained sprinter used his Newmarket Prelude victory last year as a launching pad to take out the 2014 Murwillumbah Newmarket.

The Murwillmbah Newmarket is worth $23,150 in total prizemoney and is the main support race on Murwillumbah Cup day on June 21.