Well performed duo Murrays Sun and Braggart will start from opposite ends of the barriers in Monday's Denman Cup but are expected to fight out the finish.

Murrays Sun has the advantage of the inside gate while Braggart will only have one runner drawn outside him in the $30,000 event.

While those two are favoured, trainer Jim Delaney will be looking for a change of fortune with Universal Belief.

Delaney has run placings in the past two editions of the other feature race, The Denman Dash, with Floral Insight, a half brother to Universal Belief.

The Taree trainer is confident Universal Belief will be in the finish of the Cup although he is mindful he is second-up from a spell.

"I'm stepping him up quicker in distance than I would like, but he is a class horse who is always a chance," Delaney said.

The early scratchings from the Cup are Toranaga and Youthful King.

Muswellbrook club secretary Helen Sinclair said the race day had grown in stature as the opening leg of the Carnival of Cups series.

The race day was part of the reason why Muswellbrook was named Club of the Year at the country and provincial racing awards on Friday night.

"It's the third year we have held this meeting and we are finding a lot more provincial and city based trainers are racing here over the past couple of years mainly due to the improvement in the track," Sinclair said.

"It's a big time of the year at Muswellbrook with the breeding season and this meeting is well placed on the holiday Monday and the start of our three feature cup meetings."

Muswellbrook will hold the South Muswellbrook Cup on October 22 and its Cup on November 5, Melbourne Cup day.