IT was only at today’s fixture in Loughanmore 12 months ago that The Mean Queen made her competitive debut, winning the opening four-year-old mares’ maiden at the first time of asking to kickstart a remarkable year which culminated in her third Grade 1 success in last Saturday’s $150,000 American National.

That victory at Far Hills was particularly pleasing for the Baltimore Stables team of siblings Ellen and James Doyle as they watched on some 3,000 miles away in Co. Wexford. They have struck up a winning partnership with American trainer Keri Brion, whose own high-profile stint here in Ireland was based out of their yard outside of Enniscorthy.