Her dam, Strathcona won one race and was sold by the Queen in 1976, the year before Dunfermline's greatest success: she was a half-sister to the Eclipse winner Canisbay.

She finished second to Triple First in the May Hill Stakes at Doncaster and second again behind Miss Pinkie in the Argos Star Fillies Mile at Ascot.

Her task was made easier when Durtal the Cheveley Park Stakes winner was withdrawn after sustaining an injury when going to the start.

[4] In the St Leger at Doncaster, Dunfermline started at odds of 10/1 in a field of thirteen, with the Irish-trained colt Alleged being made odds-on favourite.

The colt and the filly pulled clear of the field in the final quarter mile with Dunfermline getting the better of a prolonged struggle to beat Alleged by one and half lengths.

Her best performance came when she finished second to Montcontour in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot Timeform gave Dunfermline a rating of 133 in 1977, making her the top-rated three-year-old filly in Europe.