Expected to be named 2021 Eclipse Award-winning steeplechaser, The Mean Queen was slated to head over to Ireland early in the New Year to prep for the prestigious Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, the National Steeplechase Association reported on Facebook. However, with Omicron cases on the rise, trainer Keri Brion has decided that the three-time Grade 1 winner will remain stateside.
Instead, The Mean Queen's next goal will come in spring: The G1 Iroquois at Nashville in May.
“The unknown of where Covid restrictions are heading over the next three months brought the Moorhead's (owners Rod and Alice) to the decision,” Brion explained. “It's important to them that they can enjoy the experience and with the way things are at the moment they wouldn't be able to. We had to make a decision now so that's the decision.”
If all goes well and the world returns to what at least passes for normal, Brion said The Mean Queen will again set her sights on Cheltenham in 2023.
The post COVID Concerns Prevent Keri Brion From Sending The Mean Queen Overseas For Cheltenham Festival appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
