THE Listed Grand Prix Anjou Bretagne at Nantes is not one of the better known races in France, but it plays an important role in the continuing story of success being enjoyed by George Strawbridge’s wonderful broodmare In Clover.

That daughter of Inchinor (Ahonoora) is responsible for eight winners to date, and six of them are stakes winners, half of them successful at Group 1 level.

With his win at Nantes, the four-year-old In Crowd (Dubawi) became her sixth blacktype earner, and he now won six of his 11 outings. He looks likely to gain some group form.

In Clover remains on the verge of becoming a breeding rarity, a ‘Blue Hen’ dam of four Group or Grade 1 winners. In time she will have a two-year-old filly, Reasonable (Dubawi), and a yearling filly by Kingman (Invincible Spirit) to fly the flag for her – and let us not forget her placed three-year-old Azureus (Invincible Spirit).

Two years ago was a great one for the Group 3 Prix de Flore winner In Clover. Her son Call The Wind (Frankel) won the two and a half mile Group 1 Qatar Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp, and this followed a victory earlier in the year for his half-sister With You (Dansili) in the Group 1 Prix Rothschild. The latter’s full-sister We Are (Dansili) was previously successful in the Group 1 Prix de l’Opera Longines.

Eight winners

In Clover’s dam Bellarida (Bellypha) was also a Group 3 winner, in the Prix de Royaumont. She too has eight winning offspring, including three stakes winners, while she is grandam of the Australian Group 2 winner Adjusted (Montjeu) and Group 3 winner and Group 1 Matron Stakes runner-up Lily’s Angel (Dark Angel).

Bellarida is the third dam of Dominant (Cacique), winner of the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase, the Group 2 winner and sire Es Que Love (Clodovil), and classic heroine Teppal (Camacho), winner of the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches-French 1000 Guineas.