1
general::
Phrase(s): steal a march on someone or something
to precede someone who has the same goal; to accomplish something before someone else does. • Jeff stole a march on all of us when he had his story published. • Our competitor stole a march on us and got the big contract.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
2
general::
Gain an advantage over unexpectedly or secretly, as in Macy's stole a march on their rival department store with their Thanksgiving Day parade. This metaphoric expression comes from medieval warfare, where a march was the distance an army could travel in a day. By quietly marching at night, a force could surprise and overtake the enemy at daybreak. Its figurative use dates from the second half of the 1700s.
American Heritage Idioms