Tamfana finished third in the Prix de Diane (G1) at Chantilly June 16 as Sparkling Plenty showed a superb burst of speed from the back of the pack to come home on top in a scrambled finish.
Tamfana had been a luckless fourth in the One Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket last month and was strongly fancied by trainer David Menuisier to improve on that run with the filly sent off the 3-1 joint-favorite.
Having settled in the rear at Newmarket, Tamfana adopted a position just behind the leader this time under jockey Oisin Murphy and was in an ideal position to strike for owners Quantum Leap Racing.
With a quarter of a mile left to race, Tamfana took up the lead and was finding plenty for pressure. However, towards the rear of the field, jockey Tony Piccone had found a gap on Sparkling Plenty and sent his filly in pursuit.
Also closing on Tamfana was 40-1 outsider Survie and Aventure, the other 3-1 joint-favorite, and inside the final half a furlong she was passed. At the line, Sparkling Plenty had a head to spare over Survie with Tamfana in third and Aventure fourth.
Patrice Cottier, who trained the winner for owner Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois, said: "It's unbelievable, I don't know what to say. My first thought is for Cristian Demuro who should have ridden but has an injured hand. But straight away we thought of Tony Piccone, who did such a good job with Sauterne (Prix du Moulin winner) last year.
"She did it so well the other day that we said to ourselves that we have to go for the Diane and to work with the Dubois family—they have some magnificently bred horses—it's just the dream."
Menuisier had been left with mixed feelings after Tamfana finished fourth in the One Thousand Guineas, and he was once again unsure how to describe his feelings after the Prix de Diane.
"Joy and sadness," he said. "I'm very proud because they are hard to get and she ran her heart out. She had every chance and she's done the hard work at the front. I'm proud because she did what she could, but I'm disappointed because she looked like the winner."
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