George Strawbridge’s Stellar Broodmare In Clover Dies at 23

[Wandering Eyes]

In Clover, the dam of four Group 1 winners for her owner-breeder George Strawbridge, has died at the age of 23.

The outstanding producer, herself the winner of the G3 Prix de Flore, was a daughter of Inchinor and the Bellypha mare Bellarida. Strawbridge bought her dam from the Wertheimer brothers in 1997 and they would later buy back into the family when purchasing In Clover's daughter Incahoots as a three-year-old.

Strawbridge will not have regretted his original outlay, for In Clover alone has been responsible for the top-level winners Friendly Soul, Call The Wind,  With You, and We Are, as well as the Listed winners In Crowd and Incahoots. The latter is now the dam of G1 Prix de la Foret winner Kelina.

Tom Goff oversees George Strawbridge's European breeding stock and said of In Clover, “She passed away quickly last Saturday at Barton Stud under the excellent supervision of Rossdales' Ollie Pynn.

“It's obviously very sad as she was a wonderfully kind mare but she had an incredible life as both racehorse and broodmare for her owner and breeder Mr Strawbridge. He was saddened by the news but, at the same time, is hugely grateful to have owned such a superstar mare.”

Goff continued, “I have to mention Zoe Isaacson and the team at Barton, who have looked after her so well. Also, David Ludlow of Stowell Hill Stud cared for her for many years so deserves huge credit, as do Joe Bradley and his team at The National Stud, where she often went to foal.”

Friendly Soul, the mare's 12th foal and four-year-old daughter by Kingman, won last year's G1 Prix de l'Opera for John and Thady Gosden as the third leg of three consecutive group victories. She was the first of In Clover's offspring not to be trained in France by Freddy Head and she currently holds entries for both the Pretty Polly and Eclipse Stakes.

The G1 Prix Rothschild winner With You, by Dansili, is long the family members remaining in the Strawbridge broodmare band and has bred two winners from her first two runners – With Stars (Sea the Stars) and Gitano (Lope De Vega). She has a two-year-old filly by Siyouni as well as a yearling daughter of Sea The Stars to follow.

Goff added, “It's worth saying that all [In Clover's] Group 1 winners were sired by Juddmonte stallions, which says a lot about the depth and quality at that establishment. She leaves behind a smart Kingman yearling colt and an exceptional filly foal also by Kingman, so hopefully the story isn't over yet.”

 

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