THE Guineas Festival got underway yesterday with the Group 2 Betfred Jockey Club Stakes as the feature and it saw victory going to Bellum Justum (11/2) who brought up a 67/1 treble for trainer Andrew Balding.

Partnered by Oisin Murphy, the four-year-old Sea The Stars colt overhauled the 10/11 favourite Silver Knott inside the final furlong to win the mile and a half contest by a comfortable length and a half.

Balding had been successful earlier in the afternoon with favourite Zgharta and Miss Information.

Andrew Balding said: “Bellum Justum is a high-class horse and had got some good form from last year. Obviously, the second is a very good horse as well.

“I am delighted because he was a big disappointment in the John Porter and it’s just nice to see him back on track. I think the cheekpieces helped and it was an excellent performance.

“He has had a hard enough race today and I think we will probably wait for the Hardwicke now.”

Cosmic for Ireland

In the Listed TrustATrader King Charles II Stakes over seven furlongs, Ryan Moore partnered the Juddmonte colt Cosmic Year (6/4 favourite) to a length and a half success over Marvelman. The Harry Charlton-trained son of Kingman was taken out of the 2000 Guineas this week but may now have the Irish Guineas as his aim. He raced prominently and when asked, stayed on well despite a bit of a high head carriage.

Impeccably bred, being by Kingman out of Passage Of Time, the 6/4 market leader took the lead inside the final furlong and ran on well for a cosy length and a half success over Marvelman.

Winning trainer Harry Charlton said: “The race didn’t pan out exactly as you would have wanted – the two to his right split right and Ryan (Moore) said he thought they were all going to go that way and they didn’t.

“He has not handled the dip perfectly but Ryan liked the way he knuckled down in the final furlong.”

Irish winner

There was an Irish winner in Britain at Chelmsford on Thursday when Lady With The Lamp (5/1) took the Listed bet365 Chelmer Fillies’ Stakes over six furlongs, taking home the £45,368 for a partnership headed by Kevin Blake.

Dylan Browne McMonagle steered the Joseph O’Brien-trained three-year-old filly to run on well inside final furlong and lead towards finish.