TWO-year-old colt Step To Fame shed his Maiden certificate at his second attempt, winning a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m at Scottsville on Sunday.

Owned in partnership by Mary Slack and Mike de Kock, he’s a son of Slack erstwhile star, Kildonan, who won five races from nine starts, including two Gr1’s, before retiring to Koos de Klerk’s Yellow Star Stud near Mooi River.

Step To Fame (photo, No 10) was slightly slow off the mark but jockey Anthony Delpech said he made up his lost ground, “within a matter of strides”. Step To Fame joined issue with the favourite, Generalissimo and came out tops in their battle with three-quarters of a length to spare.

Delpech commented: “He’s a small horse like his dad, but he’s got guts. He wants to over-race, he travelled too hard and I was worried he’d run out of steam when we challenged Sean Cormack’s mount, but he quickened well and won a good race.”

Last Sunday, Delpech booted home another Slack-owned runner, Pearlware, to an easy win, tried first time over 1450m. Stoutly bred by Silvano from a Fort Wood mare, this three-year-old is likely to come into her own over even further as she matures.