Channel 7 and 7plus Spring Racing Carnival 2026: dates and broadcast times – Epsom Day and Turnbull Stakes Day launch Channel 7’s spring racing coverage on Saturday 3 October, ahead of The Everest, the Caulfield Cup, the Cox Plate and a series of major Sydney and Melbourne meetings. The network has supplied a market-by-market broadcast guide for the first three Saturdays, with some coverage moving between Channel 7 and 7two while 7plus carries the live stream.
For viewers, the channel and start time are as important as the race-day headline. Perth’s opening two Saturdays begin on 7two, while the 10 October coverage is on 7two in all five markets listed by Seven. Sydney and Melbourne also move to daylight saving time after the first weekend; the times below are each city’s local broadcast times as stated in Seven’s full release, not a single national time.
Seven says its spring coverage will run across October and November, with additional international racing on 7plus. The 150th Caulfield Cup and 10th Everest meet on the same Saturday, 17 October. Glen Boss returns to the network’s racing team at The Everest, joining Bruce McAvaney and the broader Seven line-up.
When and where to watch the first three Saturdays
Seven’s four-page release sets out the following confirmed starts. Each time is local to the city named; 7plus is listed alongside the broadcast channel. Later October and November race days are in the calendar below, but the release does not give city-by-city start times for them. This distinction matters when a meeting is carried by different linear channels across the country: a viewer searching only the main Channel 7 schedule could otherwise miss the earlier 7two portion.
Saturday 3 October: Epsom Day and Turnbull Stakes Day
Coverage takes in TAB Epsom Day at Royal Randwick and TAB Turnbull Stakes Day at Flemington. Seven’s opening broadcast begins at noon AEST in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
- Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane: 12.00pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
- Adelaide: 11.30am on Channel 7 and 7plus.
- Perth: 10.00am on 7two and 7plus, then 12.00pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
Saturday 10 October: Caulfield Guineas Day and Hill Stakes Day
The next Saturday pairs Sportsbet Caulfield Guineas Day at Caulfield with Hill Stakes Day at Rosehill Gardens. Unlike the opening weekend, the release places the television coverage on 7two in every listed market, as well as 7plus.
- Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane: 12.00pm on 7two and 7plus.
- Adelaide: 11.30am on 7two and 7plus.
- Perth: 10.00am on 7two and 7plus.
Saturday 17 October: The Everest and Caulfield Cup
Everest Day at Royal Randwick and the 150th Caulfield Cup at Caulfield share Seven’s 17 October programme. Seven also marks the 10th running of The Everest, with Glen Boss making his Spring Racing Carnival return to its coverage.
- Sydney and Melbourne: 12.00pm on Channel 7 and 7plus.
- Brisbane: 11.00am on 7two and 7plus, then 11.30am on Channel 7 and 7plus.
- Adelaide: 11.30am on Channel 7 and 7plus.
- Perth: 9.00am on 7two and 7plus, then 10.00am on Channel 7 and 7plus.
These are programme coverage start times, not post times for individual races. Seven has not provided individual race start times in the release. Viewers should check their local listings closer to each meeting in case the broadcast schedule changes.
More Spring Racing Carnival dates on Seven
The first three Saturdays lead into a wider run of Sydney and Victorian meetings. Seven lists the following events for the remainder of the announced carnival schedule:
- Saturday 24 October: Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day at Flemington and Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes Day at Royal Randwick.
- Saturday 31 October: Golden Eagle Day at Rosehill Gardens.
- Tuesday 3 November: The Big Dance at Royal Randwick.
- Saturday 7 November: Five Diamonds Ladies Day at Rosehill Gardens.
- Saturday 14 November: C.F. Orr Stakes Day at Sandown and The Newcastle Herald Hunter Day at Newcastle.
The release does not set out market-specific broadcast times for those later Australian meetings. Seven says its 7Racing portfolio carries thoroughbred racing live and free every Saturday through a long-term agreement with Racing Victoria and Racing NSW, alongside key race days involving Racing Queensland and Racing SA. That provides a year-round backdrop to the spring events rather than limiting the coverage to a few marquee Saturdays.
Glen Boss returns to Seven’s racing team
Australian Racing Hall of Famer Glen Boss returns after appearing in Seven’s Brisbane Racing Carnival coverage earlier this year. His Spring Racing Carnival debut for the network is set for The Everest on Saturday 17 October, where he will join Bruce McAvaney.
The commentary and presentation team also includes Emma Freedman, Jason Richardson, Katelyn McDonald, Lizzie Jelfs, House of Wellness host Shane Crawford and 7NEWS sport reporter Xander McGuire. Together, the group will cover meetings in Sydney and Melbourne as Seven moves between the major venues.
Seven’s Head of Horse Racing, Joel Starcevic, called the 150th Caulfield Cup, 10th Everest and new-look Cox Plate the carnival’s historic landmarks. He said Boss’s experience on racing’s biggest stages gives him a distinctive view of the pressure facing contenders. Starcevic also singled out McAvaney’s knowledge and passion as central to the coverage.
Seven says its racing coverage has reached 8.13 million Australians across broadcast and 7plus in 2026. According to the network, Total TV audiences are up 12 per cent year on year and streaming audiences are up 84 per cent. Those are Seven’s reported figures, rather than independently audited figures supplied with the release; they help explain why the network is promoting both the free-to-air channels and 7plus throughout this guide.
International racing on 7plus and 7two
The Australian carnival is not the only racing on Seven’s schedule. The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe from Paris Longchamp is listed live on 7plus from 12.30am AEDT in the early hours of Monday 5 October. The 2400-metre race carries EUR5 million in prize money, according to Seven, and has repeatedly been named the world’s best horse race.
Later in the month, the 2026 Breeders’ Cup World Championships come from Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Coverage begins on the morning of Saturday 31 October on 7two and 7plus, ahead of Australian racing from Randwick and Rosehill, and continues on Sunday morning. Seven describes the two-day programme as 14 races with more than US$30 million in prize money, including the US$7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. The release does not provide a precise Australian start time for either morning.
After the domestic spring programme, Seven also plans to stream the Longines Hong Kong International Races from Sha Tin on Sunday 13 December. The meeting includes the Hong Kong Cup, Mile, Sprint and Vase, with the Sprint expected to feature Ka Ying Rising. Seven has not yet supplied a start time in this release.
For more TV Central horse racing coverage, head here. Check the Australian 7plus site for live racing access and the latest programme listings.