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The Luca Cumani trained Second Step powered to victory in the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in Germany on Sunday to become the eighth G1 winner by South Australian-based shuttle sire Dalakhani.
Under jockey Jamie Spencer, Second Step got on top in the final 50m of the 125th running of the 2400m event to score from front-runner Ito, with recent G1 German Derby winner Nutan another three-quarters of a length back in third.
Already a G2 winner and placegetter at that level on his only two starts this year, Second Step is likely to run next in the G1 Irish St Leger.A trip to Melbourne in the spring has not been ruled out.
Like Dalakhani’s G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Reliable Man, Second Step is the fourth G1 winner by the Gilltown Stud stallion out of a Sadler's Well mare.Second Step was following up on a brace of G2 victories earlier in the season.
He is a half-brother to dual winner Mallory Heights and his dam was placed three times for Aidan O'Brien.
Her full sister Silk And Scarlet was a G2 winner for O'Brien and later foaled the G1 Jebel Hatta winner Master Of The Hounds and the Japanese G1 Mile Championship ace Eishin Apollon.
Dalakhani is the sire of 44 stakes-winners and 8.7% stakes-winners to runners in his career to date.
A Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner and European Champion he has filled his limited book of mares in each of his first two seasons at Cornerstone Stud in South Australia.