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.