Shogun caps Express start

Shogun Express has made a bright start to his career and the three-year-old crowned a run of placings with a stout winning performance at Ballarat.The Michelle Payne-trained son of our shuttle stallion Almanzor had finished in the money in each of his first five appearances before convincingly breaking through over 2600 metres.He missed the jump and tailed the field until 700 metres from home when rider Luke Nolen made his move and they improved rapidly. Shogun Lodge rounded the home bend in second spot and held a strong gallop to crush his rivals by three and a-quarter lengths.“He mucked up the start a bit, but he likes to find his feet and can stay. He looked the winner a long way out,” Nolen said.“He likes to get his toe in the ground so he’s in at the right time of the year.”A half-brother to a quartet of winners, Shogun Express was bred by Little Avondale Stud and sold on their behalf by Sledmere Stud to Payne for A$90,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.He is a son of the Flying Spur mare Tsukioka and she is a half-sister to the G1 Hong Kong Mile winner Glorious Days and the Listed winners Bangalore Bullet and Spurcent.