WHEN legendary singer and actor Bing Crosby co-founded the Del Mar Turf Club in May 1936, the Californian venue quickly transformed into a playground for Hollywood stars along the Pacific Ocean coastline.

In the years that followed, apparently you could find anyone from Mickey Rooney to Rita Hayworth, Bob Hope and Louis Armstrong soaking up the sunshine at the picturesque track. It was a cast of characters you were unlikely to find at any other racecourse.

While there will surely be another gaggle of prominent figures from the world of culture descending on Del Mar for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup World Championships this weekend, the true uniqueness of this meeting lies in the sporting personalities - human and equine - it draws each autumn. It has been a real pleasure and strong insight this week to spend time in the company of some of international racing’s greatest names, preparing for showtime.

Within minutes of entering the gates at Del Mar before 7am on Tuesday morning, the first sight was a familiar one. It’s Aidan O’Brien, peering through binoculars up high in the grandstand. The locals can’t get enough of the impressive visual of his string marching up the course each morning. Even the jumbo screen has a special ‘Aidan’s army’ tagline in order once his runners come in shot. Everyone sits up and takes notice.

Nick Luck, having grabbed me for a word on his excellent Daily Podcast, describes the military-like formation as almost like racing’s equivalent of the New Zealand Haka, which isn’t a bad shout when you see the sort of interest it captures every morning here.

After all the Ballydoyle business is completed on track, O’Brien makes his way down, greets members of the press for close to a quarter of an hour and cuts a more relaxed figure than was likely the case here 12 months ago. There was the small matter of a Classic bid on the line with City Of Troy then. O’Brien explains how he can watch this year’s all-star renewal without any pressure, has the time to crack a joke at how wide draws have “put manners on” a number of his leading hopes for 2025 and entertains questions on whether he could possibly break his own world record for Group 1/Grade 1 wins this weekend.

“We don’t ever really think of anything like that,” O’Brien insists, when asked if the bid has been in his thoughts of late. “We put the horses first and take the races as they come.”

He adds: “There look to be chances there this weekend. There are so many variables you can’t control at this meeting; the draw being one of them. There’s not an inch given anywhere, you can’t miss a beat. It’s a tough place to have winners.”

Classic consternation

It can be a tricky place to even have runners too. Just around the corner of the barn we’re speaking outside, rumblings afoot about the Classic favourite. Bill Mott, we’re informed by the locals, can be a slightly cautious character at the best of times but he seems rattled. Kentucky Derby hero Sovereignty came down with a temperature and dreams of wrestling the crown from Sierra Leone disappear fast.

Even though the news is quite the boon for anyone else with a contender in the race, Japan’s Yoshito Yahagi is full of empathy and respect for team Sovereignty. We pose questions to him through his Japanese interpreter.

The one thing that definitely isn’t lost in translation is how confident the globally dominant trainer is that Forever Young is in a much stronger place than 12 months ago when third in the Classic (beaten two and three-quarter lengths)

The trainer, who is famous for his eclectic choice of hats, is adamant we’ll see an improved horse this time around.

“I believe his condition is better than last year. His hindquarter got much stronger, it’s beautiful, as well as he’s mentally matured,” Yahagi says.

“Last year was unfortunate that he raced from stall one. We wanted to be in a prominent position, following the leader, but it ended up a crazy fast pace. My strategy was wrong.”

Japanese confidence

How long has this race been Forever Young’s primary aim, I ask?

“The Classic has been our target for a year,” comes the response from the interpreter, taking an Irish accent in her stride and translating my questions to Japanese. “Of course, we are here to win a great race and become the first Japanese to win it.” Now that would be a story to savour.

Wednesday morning felt more about who we didn’t get to speak to in the press, than those who were actually willing to engage. Attempts from British and Irish journalists to nail down Frankie Dettori failed spectacularly. He had zero interest in playing ball.

“No, not today. I’m not talking today,” he said. “Not today. I’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll have plenty to talk about tomorrow.”

True to his word, there was much more to chat about a day later, having announced on Wednesday evening that he was retiring from riding in the US after the Breeders’ Cup.

Not true to his word, however, he was nowhere to be found on Thursday when the press sought answers on his new role as a global brand ambassador with Amo Racing. Attempts to reach him by phone first thing in the morning fell on deaf ears.

Speaking of Amo, Matt Chapman got quite the tune out of Kia Joorabchian for everyone on Thursday. Think A.P. McCoy rowing away on Wichita Lineman.

Kia tells us Dettori will be kept busy, involved in media duties and racing advisory, but it’s hard to really get a handle on how exactly he’ll be utilised to bring benefit to the organisation. It would have been hanider for Frankie to tell us.

No regrets

On another side of the coin, you can pretty much ask Christophe Soumillon any question and he’ll answer it with maximum effort and passion. He explains all the ins and outs of his thinking on how he rode Minnie Hauk in the Arc, when I ask if criticism he received over the ride frustrated him. He insists he has no regrets about the ride.

“To be honest, there’s not one of my rides that I can say I don’t think will finish in the first three,” he reasons when asked for his best chance of the weekend. Minnie Hauk was the first name he mentioned, though. In another Chapman masterstroke, when pressing the Belgian about how challenging it is for him to get down to 8st 7lb for his Breeders’ Cup Turf mount, Soumillon lifts up his shirt to show a phenomenal six pack (just above his bright pink boxers). It isn’t your typical big-race build up that gets this type of colour, but it is here at Del Mar.

Francis Graffard, who has been on fire throughout 2025 with 12 winners at the highest level, never appears to be far away from the stabling area throughout the week. It’s a similar story with Charlie Appleby. Both are a regular sight around the quarantine area.

There are certainly more ways than one way to skin a cat, though, and Willie Mullins - another man having his own momentous 2025 - looks to take a much more hands-off approach. There’s no rushing down to the barns at the crack of dawn after arriving for the first time on Thursday. He appears happy with how all is unfolding under the watch of the stable’s Sean Cleary Farrell.

Dylan Browne McMonagle is tasked with getting the timing right on Mullins’ Ethical Diamond in the Turf, and there appears to be a quiet optimism brewing on site. Ireland’s newest champion jockey has landed on the same day and walks with the swagger of a man full of confidence after securing his first title. He’s not on riding duties but watches Queen Of Hawaii and North Coast from Joseph O’Brien’s team.

Browne McMonagle’s big weighing room rival, Colin Keane, was extremely gracious and classy when I ask about his reflections on his title slipping away.

“Dylan is a very deserving winner. A very good rider and an even better person,” says Juddmonte’s retained rider, who has notched three Group 1 winners so far this year for his employers.

Keane has three chances of his own to look forward to over the two days at Del Mar, and was awesome here 12 months ago on Magnum Force for Ger Lyons. He has won two Breeders’ Cup races from just five rides in America. That is a record not to be sniffed at.

As global stars descend on where the turf meets the surf, the Irish contingent have been representing our sector superbly before the ball has been thrown in this week. In the land of opportunity, a massive meeting lies in store.