Melbourne Cup Carnival 2018: guide

Seven coverage of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, begins on Saturday with Victoria Derby Day and runs for a week through to Stake Day.

This is the final year of Seven’s broadcast deal, hosted by Bruce McAvaney, Francesca Cumani and Richard Freedman, but is set to be its biggest yet.

Jason Richardson will conduct live interviews post-race with winning connections and form analysis from the mounting yard. Chris Symons will be the horseback interviewer on ‘Kevin from 7’.

During the coverage, Hamish McLachlan and Ross Stevenson will be giving Melbourne Cup Carnival viewers their unique That’s Racing take on everything at Flemington, as they go beyond the odds to talk about the fun and offbeat side of the sport.

Hamish will also host from the race stalls and pre-parade ring with Katelyn Mallyon, interviewing the connections and reporting on horse arrivals.

Edwina Bartholomew, Rachael Finch and Emma Davenport will bring all the colour, news and personalities from around the track.

Abbey Gelmi will be interviewing stars of the racing and fashion world.

Kate Waterhouse will bring us all the latest from the Fashions on the Field, while Byron Cooke will catch up with music acts including Sam Smith and The Presets.

Basil Zempilas will be Master of Ceremonies, while Racing Victoria’s voice of Melbourne racing, Matthew Hill will be heard throughout Seven’s Melbourne Cup Carnival coverage. Hill has an extensive resume as a race caller and sports broadcaster including five Golden Slipper’s and Australian Derbies, and more recently called Winx in her historic fourth Cox Plate victory.

Seven News meteorologist Jane Bunn joins the coverage to keep race goers and punters across all the latest weather news.

Seven’s digital coverage of the Melbourne Cup will be our biggest yet, with horse racing fans able to access live and exclusive content in more ways than ever before.

Users will be able to watch the Melbourne Cup – not to mention all of the build-up and post-race analysis – wherever they are in Australia on 7plus and the 7Sport app.

Extended social coverage on @7horseracing will complement broadcast, capturing the best of the racing action and all of the colour and features from around Flemington. @7horseracing will also be the home of three new social shows: the Form Study Friday with Francesca Cumani and Jason Richardson; Armchair Experts – Horse Racing edition; and the Social Show hosted by Byron Cooke.

What’s more, @7horseracing has teamed up with Twitter to offer live streaming from the Carnival to users across Australia.

The Carnival jumps out of the barriers on Saturday with what many racing purists consider the best single day of thoroughbred racing in Australia. Victorian racing’s premier three-year-old classic, the Victoria Derby is the feature event for stayers over 2500m. The Empire Rose Stakes, Kennedy Mile, and Coolmore Stud Stakes round out an exceptional day of Group 1 racing, along with five other Group races.

Then it’s the first Tuesday in November, which means only one thing to Australians: the Melbourne Cup. The nation’s greatest race, a handicap run over ‘two miles’, attracts thoroughbred horses from around the globe as trainers and owners look to etch their name in racing history. Every year drama, intrigue and stories unfold around the Cup with winners coming from all walks of life.

Oaks Day and Stakes Day, on Thursday and Saturday respectively, round out arguably the best racing carnival in the world. The latest in fashion, colour and flair is celebrated on Oaks Day, with the feature race the Group 1 Oaks for three-year-old fillies. Families are again expected to flock to Stakes Day to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere for the $2 million Group 1 Seppelt Wines McKinnon Stakes.

Saturday November 3
Victoria Derby Day
Sydney 11am Live on Channel 7, 5.30pm Live on 7TWO
Melbourne 11am Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 10am Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 10.30am Live on Channel 7
Perth 8am Live on 7TWO, 10am Live on Channel 7

Tuesday November 6
Melbourne Cup Day
Sydney 10am Live on Channel 7
Melbourne 10am Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 9am Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 9.30am Live on Channel 7
Perth 7am Live on 7TWO, 9am Live on Channel 7

Thursday November 8
Oaks Day
Sydney 11.30am Live on Channel 7, 5.30pm Live on 7TWO
Melbourne 11.30am Live on Channel 7, 5.30pm Live on 7TWO
Brisbane 10.30am Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 11am Live on Channel 7
Perth 8.30am Live on 7TWO, 9am Live on Channel 7

Saturday November 10
Stakes Day
Sydney 11.30am Live on Channel 7, 5.30pm on 7TWO
Melbourne 11.30am Live on Channel 7
Brisbane 10.30am Live on Channel 7
Adelaide 11am Live on Channel 7
Perth 8.30am Live on 7TWO, 10am Live on Channel 7