Melbourne Cup 2016: guide

Seven’s coverage of the Melbourne Cup begins Live at 10am AEDT today, hosted by Bruce McAvaney.

It is preceded by Sunrise.

 

Broadcast:

Sunrise live from Flemington 6 -10am Tuesday

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

Melbourne Cup Race 3pm AEDT called by Greg Miles.

Online / Digital:

7Sport will be following the action throughout the day @7HorseRacing on Facebook and Twitter. Australians will be able to follow this through @Channel 7 and @7Sport. Seven will also create bespoke content on Melbourne Cup Day for streaming live via Facebook leading up to Seven’s live coverage that day. This will also be available @Channel7. The live and free simulcast of all Seven’s channels can be accessed via PLUS7 Live (available on Telstra TV, Apple TV (4th gen), mobile iOS, Android and web).

Seven and Yahoo7 enjoyed a record-breaking first run as live streaming on PLUS7 officially launched for The Melbourne Cup – with more than 488,000 streams across the day, and over 340,000 concurrent streams during the main race. Based on statistics on concurrent users and peak traffic, the live stream of the Melbourne Cup on Seven was the largest online event of its kind in Australia.

Presenters:

Bruce McAvaney | Host
The doyen of sports broadcasting in Australia, Bruce McAvaney has hosted Seven’s expanded coverage of the Spring Racing Carnival, including the Caulfield Cup Carnival, the Cox Plate and now the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Bruce began his career as a race caller, and he has called the Melbourne Cup four times and hosted Seven’s Cup Carnival coverage 14 times, and throughout his decorated career he has retained an infectious enthusiasm for the so-called Sport of Kings.

Francesca Cumani | Co-Host
The daughter of English trainer Luca Cumani, Francesca joins the panel on-course throughout the Spring Racing Carnival. Francesca made her TV debut on Seven’s horseracing coverage in 2009 and has impressed ever since with her thorough racing knowledge.

Simon Marshall | Co-Host
Simon Marshall enjoyed a decorated career as a jockey, winning 16 Group 1 races and piloting stars including Super Impose, Naturalism, Better Loosen Up, Mahogany and Mannerism. Simon will help dissect the form for Seven. Also a regular on Seven’s AFL Game Day, he brings a unique combination of racing insight and a sense of fun.

Simon O’Donnell | Co-Host
Simon has sporting credentials that few can match, having played cricket for Australia where he won a World Cup, as well as playing AFL at the highest level with St Kilda. Following his elite sporting career, he turned his attention to his love of racehorses, teaming up with Terry Henderson to deliver multiple Group 1 winners including Manighar, Brambles and Kibbutz.

Hamish McLachlan | Presenter
An accomplished horseman who grew up next to Lindsay Park Stud, one of Australia’s most successful racing and breeding establishments, Hamish is a feature of Seven’s Melbourne Cup Carnival coverage as well as being an AFL commentator and host of AFL Game Day, and a regular on Seven’s Australian Open coverage.

Mel McLaughlin | Presenter
Fresh from hosting Seven’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games coverage, Seven News sports anchor Mel McLaughlin will be a roving reporter on Melbourne Cup Day and Derby Day interviewing all of the stars from the sporting world who descend on Flemington.

Jason Richardson | Mounting Yard Reporter
Known for his energetic passion and knowledge for horse racing, and a winner of the prestigious Stawell Gift, Jason will interview all the winning connections, along with form analysis from the Mounting Yard.

Peter Donegan | Mounting Yard Presenter
Peter is one of the most respected sports broadcasters in the country, having covered athletics, golf, AFL, horseracing and tennis among many sports for radio and TV. Pete will be in the mounting yard where he has earned the respect of jockeys, trainers, owners and stewards over a Melbourne Cup broadcasting career stretching back over two decades to 1989.

Damien Oliver | Expert Analysis Derby Day
Oliver is arguably Australia’s best known rider with over 100 Group 1 wins, along with the ‘Grand Slam’ of Australian racing including three Melbourne Cups, two Cox Plates, four Caulfield Cups and a Golden Slipper.

Edwina Bartholomew | Presenter
Sunrise presenter Edwina Bartholomew will be a roving reporter for the racing coverage throughout the Melbourne CupCarnival catching up with all the big names in the entertainment world.

Basil Zempilas | MC
Basil hosts and commentates AFL matches for Seven, presents sport for Seven News Perth and is an integral part of our Australian Open and Hopman Cup tennis coverage. To date he has been to six Olympic Games for Seven and was behind the microphone calling gold medals for Australia at the pool in 2016. He’ll MC the race presentations again this year at Flemington.

Jane Bunn | Meteorologist
Seven News meteorologist Jane Bunn joins the coverage on Melbourne Cup Day and Oaks Day to keep race goers and punters across all the latest weather news.

Rachael Finch | Presenter
A vibrant personality and a former Miss Universe Australia, Rachael is a regular TV presenter for Seven who returns to Flemington as a roving fashion reporter for the coverage of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Greg Miles | Race Caller
Greg Miles is widely regarded as Australia’s premier race caller and will again be heard throughout the Carnival on Seven for the 13th year running, as well as his 36th call of the Melbourne Cup. Australian race fans will always remember his iconic call of Makybe Diva’s third consecutive Cup win when he fittingly announced “a champion becomes a legend.”

Pat Welsh | Betting Ring
Being the son of a bookmaker meant it was almost inevitable Pat Welsh would end up involved in racing and sports. The Seven News sport presenter and reporter in Brisbane with more than 30 years’ experience, Pat will present viewers with all the happenings, movements and plunges from the Flemington betting ring.

Neil Kearney | Reporter
A journalist for more than 35 years and over 20 years on television, Neil is one of Australia’s great storytellers, plying his craft on almost every major sport there is from the Olympics and AFL, to the Australian Open tennis, the Commonwealth Games and of course, horse racing.

Emily Angwin | Reporter
Seven News reporter Emily Angwin will cover all the colour and fun from Flemington over the four days of the Carnival. Emily is also a presenter and ambassador for the Carlton Football Club.

James Jordan |Form Analyst
Expert form analyst James Jordan settles in for another season with Seven analysing all the form and delivering tips for the punters at home.

Jade Robran | Reporter
Seven News reporter Jade Robran will be out and about throughout the Melbourne Cup Carnival capturing all the characters and entertainment from around the track.

Sam Hyland | Horseback Interviewer
After almost two decades as a jockey, Sam Hyland retired from the sport having rode a Group 1 winner in Macau and the Warrnambool Cup and Hamilton Cup twice. He announced his retirement from race-riding after suffering significant injuries in March 2009 when he fell from Looking Light in Ballarat. Since then he has made an impressive foray into the world of broadcasting making his niche in the art of horseback interviewing with all the winning jockeys.

Horses:

No. / Horse / Trainer / Jockey / Barrier Weight
1 BIG ORANGE (GB) Michael Bell Jamie Spencer 7 57kg
2 OUR IVANHOWE (GER) Lee & Anthony Freedman Dwayne Dunn 6 57kg
3 CURREN MIROTIC (JPN) Osamu Hirata Tommy Berry 18 56.5kg
4 BONDI BEACH (IRE) Aidan O’Brien Ryan Moore 5 56kg
5 EXOSPHERIC (GB) Lee & Anthony Freedman Damien Oliver 13 56kg
6 HARTNELL (GB) John O’Shea James McDonald 12 56kg
7 WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) Chris Waller Hugh Bowman 20 56kg
8 WICKLOW BRAVE (GB) William Mullins Frankie Dettori 24 56kg
9 ALMOONQITH (USA) David & B Hayes & T Dabernig Michael Walker 19 54.5kg
10 GALLANTE (IRE) Robert Hickmott Blake Shinn 2 54.5kg
11 GRAND MARSHAL (GB) Chris Waller Ben Melham 9 54.5kg
12 JAMEKA Ciaron Maher Nicholas Hall 3 54.5kg
13 HEARTBREAK CITY (FR) Tony Martin Joao Moreira 23 54kg
14 SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD (IRE) John P Thompson Blake Spriggs 14 54kg
15 EXCESS KNOWLEDGE (GB) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Vlad Duric 21 53.5kg
16 BEAUTIFUL ROMANCE (GB) Saeed Bin Suroor Damian Lane 1 52.5kg
17 ALMANDIN (GER) Robert Hickmott Kerrin McEvoy 17 52kg
18 ASSIGN (IRE) Robert Hickmott Ms Katelyn Mallyon 22 52kg
19 GREY LION (IRE) Matt Cumani Glen Boss 16 52kg
20 OCEANOGRAPHER (GB) Charlie Appleby Chad Schofield 11 52kg
21 SECRET NUMBER (GB) Saeed Bin Suroor Stephen Baster 10 52kg
22 PENTATHLON (NZ) John Wheeler Mark Du Plessis 4 51.5kg
23 QEWY (IRE) Charlie Appleby Craig Williams 15 51.5kg
24 ROSE OF VIRGINIA (NZ) Lee & Shannon Hope Ben E Thompson (a) 8 51kg