There were notable returns to form at Chantilly on Sunday as Godspeed landed the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham whilst Reyevka showed significant improvement to capture the Listed Prix Marchand d'Or, both bouncing back from below-par efforts earlier in the season.

Reyevka, a daughter of Blue Point, atoned for a disappointing reappearance in the Group 3 Prix Sigy over the same course and distance, where she pulled hard and faded into a distant fourth. This time, she was much more tractable under Mickael Barzalona, who executed a patient ride. Settled in midfield early, Barzalona found cover before deftly switching to the rail with two furlongs to go.

Launching his challenge at the furlong marker, Reyevka responded willingly, accelerating powerfully to hit the front and staying on strongly to record a commanding victory over Apollo Fountain in second. Estepona, who had finished ahead of Reyevka in the Prix Sigy, was another length further back in third.

Nemone Routh, French racing manager for the Aga Khan Studs, told Sky Sports Racing: "She's a filly who likes good ground. She has to have good ground. We really wanted her to drop the bit today. She's been a bit keen in her past few runs and not really finished her races. We wanted her to settle, and she did. We knew that if she did settle, she'd run a really big race. In the morning, she's a very good filly — she can just sometimes get a bit keen in her races. We're very happy with her today – that's the true Reyevka!

"We think she has the ability to be competitive in Group races. That's what she shows in the morning and I think she has proven that today."

Earlier on the card, Godspeed returned to winning ways in the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham, denying a field of more experienced rivals in impressive style. Vadinska, bidding to become the seventh consecutive winning favourite of the race in the Aga Khan Stud colours, failed to fire on just her second career start following a ten-length debut win at Saint-Cloud. She gave her rivals a head start and failed to pick up when asked.

In contrast, Godspeed—eighth last time in the Group 1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches - was much sharper. Always within striking distance, Christophe Soumillon produced her with purpose over a furlong out. She stayed on strongly to assert late, finishing a length ahead of the determined Eponine, who had tracked the pace throughout. British raider Betty Clover, trained by Eve Johnson Houghton, ran with credit to take third, but the winner looked stronger the further she went.

Yann Lerner, talking to Sky Sports Racing, said: "The filly did really well today. It gives me a lot of pleasure for her to run like that. 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.

"We will see (where she goes next), she has a nomination in the French Oaks (Prix de Diane, Gr.1), 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 2000m, she could be quite good."