Dickson seeking morale-boosting win with A Mandarin

Riverton trainer Andrea Dickson is hoping her mare A Mandarin (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) can deliver a morale-boosting win in Sunday’s AB Lime & Hyde Landscaping Wairio Cup (2200m) for her partner Stephen Love.

Love was involved in a paddock accident nearly a fortnight ago, which resulted in a fractured pelvis and ribs, and he will be keeping a close eye on Ascot Park this weekend where he will be cheering home A Mandarin.

“We were out feeding our horses in the dark the Sunday before last and I don’t think the horse had seen the motorbike and ran into the side of it and the horse and the motorbike landed on top of him,” Dickson said.

“He has got four fractures (pelvis) and three or four broken ribs.”

While it has been a trying last couple of weeks for the Southland couple, Dickson is hoping A Mandarin can lift their spirits with a positive result this weekend.

“I am hoping my Mandarin can bring us some good luck,” she said.

The six-year-old daughter of Turn Me Loose is in the form to do so, having won last start over 2215m in open company at Ascot Park last month.

“It was a pretty tough win, she had to really fight for it, so it was good to see her get that result,” Dickson said. “It was a strong little field too.”

It was a particularly rewarding win for Dickson after A Mandarin was involved in a paddock incident herself earlier in the season, which delayed her return to the races.

“We didn’t get off to a great start this season,” Dickson said. “She got her cover around her neck, and most horses would stand there and wait for you to go and fix it, but she decided to do cartwheels and trip over it about three times and really damaged her muscles quite a bit. That is why it has taken us so long to get going this season, but she is back to full fitness now, she is full of beans and is feeling really well, which is great.”

A Mandarin showed that last start and Dickson said she couldn’t have her mare any better ahead of the Wairio Cup, a race she is pinching herself she didn’t target with A Mandarin last year, opting instead to take a more conservative approach and race her in rating 65 grade, which she won impressively by 7-3/4 lengths.

“It was probably a bit of a mistake on my part being a little bit conservative because I think she actually went faster than the Wairio Cup and she had beaten the horse in her previous start (Short) that won the Wairio Cup,” Dickson said.

“I should have been a little less conservative and backed myself a little bit more and put her in that race, but you want to progress them through the grades.”

Dickson believes she has A Mandarin back in similar form to last year and she is hopeful she can get the Cup win with her, with A Mandarin set to return to breeder Windsor Park Stud’s care at the end of the season.

“I think she is right in that same vein of form she was in last year,” Dickson said.

“My lease runs out in July, so it doesn’t leave me with a lot of options depending on how Windsor Park feels about me carrying on with her a little bit longer. I will have to talk with them.”

The winner of six of her 30 starts, and more than $124,000 in prizemoney, A Mandarin is out of winning Sebring mare Diorella, who is out of stakes winner Luscilla (NZ) (Entrepreneur), and is a half-sister to three-win gelding The Better One (NZ) (Rageese).