It hasn’t been all plain sailing for Zipping Shakira and Purified, currently kennelmates and being trained at Moorak by Jason Newman.

By US sire Superior Panama out of Zipping Bailey – a winner of 21 races and more than $370,000 in prize money – Zipping Shakira found her way to the South-East late last year after one unplaced run at Goulburn.

But her debut run at Tara Raceway failed to excite her owners, Tim Aloisi and Dave Green, when she copped a 28 day suspension for marring.

Come the new year and with Zipping Shakira now in Newman’s kennels, it was decided to try racing her in blinkers to see if that would keep her on the straight and narrow. Well, so far, so good following 14 runs this year.

In fact, her all the way win in last Sunday’s Todd’s Photographics Stake (512 metres) when defeating Comet To Burn by two lengths in 29.81 seconds was her second successive win following a dead-heat with Huntsman over 400 metres the previous Sunday. All told, she’s now won five races.

Purified, a daughter of Fernando Bale and Mepunga Spectre, and raced by Aloisi’s partner Lena Dureikina, is twice a Group 3 finalist – in the 2023 SA Oaks at Angle Park and the 2024 Mount Gambier Cup.

However, by the time she had found her way to Moorak in February she had also copped suspensions for marring and failing to chase at The Meadows, Sandown Park and Murray Bridge.

With blinkers firmly in place, Purified won on debut at Tara Raceway in March and then followed up in April with something of a surprise win in a Mount Gambier Cup heat.

And in last Sunday’s final race, the Gambier Vets Mixed Stake (512 m), she led all the way from box two when defeating Minh Ellie by a length in a personal best time of 29.72 seconds.

For Newman it was one of his more satisfying doubles.

“The pair has presented a few challenges along the way so to be able to win with both on the same day has been a rewarding experience,” he said.