Tamfana, owned by David Menuisier, is headed to Chantilly in pursuit of Classic solace following her unsuccessful attempt at the 1000 Guineas.
The filly, a daughter of the late Soldier Hollow, was first noticed when she was just two years old and came from behind to win her first race by nine and a half lengths at Kempton.
After winning the Prix Miesque at Chantilly on her last start of the previous year, she went on to become a juvenile champion of Group Three. She started this term in the Prix Imprudence at Deauville, where she finished third behind only a length back Godolphin's Romantic Style and Christopher Head's Ramatuelle.
When the two met again on the Rowley Mile, Tamfana was a 33-1 shot under Jamie Spencer, but the latter horse was well-backed at 9-2 in the 1000 Guineas.
Three furlongs from home, Menuisier's filly encountered a barrier in her attempt to mount a challenge, causing Spencer to go to the wide position in order to gain some space. The filly was running in a field of sixteen.
Even with the extra ground covered, Tamafana powered home to record the quickest last two furlongs and only lost out by a length when finishing fourth in a closely-bunched finish.
Despite regretting Tamfana's difficult transition at a pivotal point, the connections were thrilled with her abilities and now have another Classic in mind in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly.
Eamonn O’Connor, managing director of owners Quantum Leap Racing, said: “David and I had a conversation as we were still in two minds about whether to go to France, but he thought the filly was good enough to win the English Guineas and I don’t think he was wrong. We had a tremendous day, the members had the best day of racing most of them have ever had. We didn’t win but it felt like we did, there was some mixed emotion afterwards about what could have been, but it’s churlish to take anything away from the winner of a race like that and start going on about your own hard luck. We didn’t win, but in truth we did come home thinking we had the best filly. David has never lacked faith in her, on the day she arrived she didn’t look like a €20,000 horse, that’s for certain. He genuinely wasn’t surprised by the run, a little bit gutted, I guess, that he didn’t get his Classic winner but not at all surprised that she ran so well.”