'Black type would be a game changer' - Johnston eyeing pattern races for Sirona

Sunday: Beverley

Joint-trainer Charlie Johnston is eyeing black type for Sirona after the filly showed a devastating turn of foot to land the 7½f juvenile maiden on her debut.

After taking a lead from odds-on favourite Serious Look, Sirona moved upsides and then asserted in the final two furlongs under Danny Muscutt to score by five and a half lengths.

Johnston said: "I came here thinking a stiff seven furlongs would be the ideal starting point but, given her pedigree, expected her to want further quite soon. She showed an impressive turn of foot there and picked up like an above-average filly.

"We actually turned her out in the spring. She wasn't going to be an early type and she had six weeks out in the paddock through May and June. When she came back in she did really well and the penny's started to drop in the last month."

Johnston added: "She's improving hand over fist and getting black type with a filly like her as a juvenile would be a game changer. Judged on the way she's won there she wouldn't look out of place at that level, maybe a Montrose at the backend or something like that."

Victory aboard Sirona brought up a double for Muscutt, who had earlier steered Captain Kane to his seventh win of the season in the 1m4f handicap for trainer George Scott.

Allan on target

David Allan also rode a double on the card. He guided the Tim Easterby-trained Poet's Dawn to a fourth course-and-distance win in the 1m½f handicap, before winning on the David Thompson-trained Birdie Bowers in division two of the 5f handicap.

Results, replays and analysis

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