Gezora crowned her impressive ascent to the elite level with a stunning victory in the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) at Chantilly.

The outstanding daughter of our resident Almanzor was making just her seventh appearance and her previous four wins included the G2 Prix Saint-Alary at Longchamp and Deauville’s G3 Prix des Reservoirs.

Trainer by Francis Graffard, Gezora lodged her claim for glory 300 metres from home and held a strong gallop to land the 2100 metre Classic by a length.

“She ran a nice race at Longchamp, she showed something new to me. She's improving all the time, and I saw after the race she really improved again, she was so happy, so confident in herself,” Graffard said.

Gezora was expertly handled by Christophe Soumillon, who had been in a bullish pre-race mood.

“What an amazing race, I was very confident before the race as she was going down to the start very easily. She was moving perfectly,” he told Sky Sports Racing.

"I had a good draw but I was a bit, not nervous, but thinking that if a lot of fillies without (strong) chances are in front of me, I could be stuck inside so I told Francis before the race and said if I have an option to come out then try to stay second-deep or third-deep, it will be great.

"When they started to quicken in the straight, I was following them really easily, I knew she’d be able to change gear and that’s exactly what she did. The pace was on, and she was ready to react at the right time.”

Gezora was raced by Haras d’Etreham before she was purchased by Peter Brandt’s White Birch Farm three starts back.

“I think it's probably one of the three or four races I've dreamed of winning. I think it's the greatest three-year-old filly race, it’s always stiff competition,” Brandt said.

Gezora is now likely to return to Longchamp for the G1 Prix Vermeille over 2400 metres before a call is made on the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, also 2400 metres.

She is a daughter of the Silver Hawk mare Germance, who won five races including the Saint-Alary in 2006 when it carried Group 1 status and then finished runner-up in the Oaks.

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Glamour sprinter Joliestar had trainer Chris Waller and rider James McDonald searching for superlatives following her stellar performance at Eagle Farm to claim a last stride victory in the G1 Kingsford Smith Cup.

Our superstar mare looked out for the count before she raised a monumental final effort to seal victory on the post in the 1300 metre feature.

“It’s been a hard day to run the leaders down and we can’t change her racing pattern, but in saying that, it was a lovely ride by James,” Waller said.

“He went straight across and got ahead of Giga Kick and one or two others, and that was probably the winning move.

“She was off the bridle at the 500 metres but to her class, she just kept coming.

“She’s a pleasure to train and the team at the Gold Coast call her the Queen, I’ll go with that.”

The regally bred Joliestar has now won six of her 15 starts and added the Kingsford Smith to her previous elite level victories in the Newmarket Handicap and Thousand Guineas.

“She’s just a lovely horse with a great record,” said Waller, who indicated she would now head for the paddock with October’s A$20 million The Everest her spring target.

“It was a mission that we missed out on last spring, so we’ll have a chat about it.”

Joliestar was taken back to fourth last from her wide barrier draw before McDonald got busy, but the daughter of Zoustar still had a mountain to climb on straightening.

“Obviously, she was the class horse in the race and she’s a big rocket because she wasn’t entitled to win,” he said.

“When I looked up at the 600, I thought I was okay and when I got on my bike at the 500 the pace had quickened, and the margin went from five lengths turning to home to seven.

“She made me look good, she’s a super mare.”

Joliestar was bred by Chris Barham and offered by Segenhoe Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where we went to A$950,000 to secure our pride and joy.

She is a daughter of the Fastnet Rock mare Jolie Bay, who won the G2 Roman Consul Stakes and finished runner-up in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and is a sister to the Australian and international Group 1 winner and stallion Merchant Navy.

All six of Jolie Bay’s progeny to race have been successful and includes the stakes performers Emperor and God Of Thunder.

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Talented filly Godspeed bounced back to her best at Chantilly with victory over 1600 metres in the G2 Prix de Sandringham.

The daughter of our shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain had been a sound third in the G3 Prix de la Grotte at Longchamp before returning there for a midfield finish in the G1 French 1000 Guineas over a mile.

She travelled easily near the pace under Christophe Soumillon and rounded off stylishly for her second win from just five outings.

"The filly did really well and gives me a lot of pleasure for her to run like that,” co-trainer Yann Lerner told Sky Sports Racing.

“We missed a bit of that luck at the beginning of the season with her, but we have plenty of confidence. We know she has a lot of talent.

"She has a nomination in the French Oaks (Prix de Diane, G1), but that's 15 days. I need to talk to all the partners, then we will see.

"She's a very easy filly. If she can show the same turn of foot over 2000 metres, she could be quite good."

An 80,000gns Arqana Deauville Yearling Sale graduate, Godspeed is out of the stakes-winning Stormin Home mare Mary’s Precedent and the family of international Group 1 winners Sottsass and Sister charlie.