For a while there, it looked like trainer Jason Lim would lay claim to both barrier trials on the morning of April 14.

The Singaporean handler had, after all, won the first hit-out with Bintang Sixty-One beating the Tiang Kim Choi-trained Banker’s One Seven by a neck.

It was a fighting finish. However, that same narrow margin came into play in the second and last trial of the morning.

That time, though, Lim found himself on the receiving end when his galloper, Sacred Order, had to play second fiddle when overpowered by a late finish from the Wayne Lim-trained Leisbobo, who also took out the trial by a neck.

Lim would have been pleased with the morning show. He had entered two horses for the trials and one won while the other went down narrowly.

For most of the trip, Bintang Sixty-One (Oscar Chavez) had the turf kicked back on him when parked on the withers of early leader, Rizzler (Bahauddin Sharudin).

To his credit, the Cotai Glory five-year-old gelding began his challenge at the top of the straight and quickly brushed aside Rizzler who, by then, had nothing left in the tank.

At that point, Bintang Sixty-One looked home and hosed until Banker’s One Seven (Nuqman Rozi) threw in a late challenge 200m out.

The Ireland-bred then looked beaten but, up in the saddl...