An astute $600 gavelhouse.com purchase provided Nikki White and jockey Lee Callaway’s new training partnership with their coveted first winner.

Patience has paid off for the Southland-based connections, having bought Luvabattle online from Chequers Stud as a broken in, yet untried, filly in November last year.

Now in her first racing preparation Luvabattle has now had four starts and produced a pearler for the new partnership winning the Oamaru Garden Fresh 1600m Maiden on Friday.

Jumping from a wide barrier to settle mid-field, jockey Corey Campbell made a move at the 600m mark with the recently turned four-year-old kicking again at the 200m to win by half a length.

Co-owner Michael White commented “Luvabattle’s a lovely individual and has been a pleasure to have around.”

“She has pulled up super after her win, ate all her dinner and will potentially have one more run in a couple of weeks before we send her for a well-earned spell.”

“We have a small team of six in work at the moment and will aim to work her through the grades next preparation.”

Luvabattle is a daughter of Chequers Stud resident sire Battle Paint and is from the winning Unbridled’s Song mare Love A Song.

Love A Song has also produced Listed Wanganui Guineas runner-up Star Chaser (Chianti), a winner in Singapore in Vingt Des (Chianti) and Luvabattle’s full brother Paintball who was a winner of three for Kenny Rae.