Orville Clarke, Freelance Writer

KING AL, running at odds of 5-1 under 58-year-old jockey David 'Scorcher' McKenzie, gets the better of 65-1 outsider RED DRAGON (Rayon Wilson) to win the Long Shot Trophy (Claiming $170,000) feature race over 1300 metres, by a length, at Caymanas Park yesterday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

CHAMPION JOCKEY Omar Walker assumed the lead from Shane Ellis in the jockeys' standings at Caymanas Park yesterday, thanks to his second triple in successive racedays.

Walker, who celebrated his 25th birthday with three winners last Saturday, came back to win aboard 2-1 chance COCK ROBIN for trainer Joseph Thomas in the second race, evens favourite UNBREAKABLE HEART (made all impressively) for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta in the fourth for maiden three-year-olds and repeat winner TWENTY NINE at odds of 8-5 in the fifth race over the round five course.

TWENTY NINE, who ran on well under a strong ride to win in a driving finish from long-time leader SPACESAVER and even-money favourite NUMERO UNO, was one of the horses Walker booted home on Saturday. The five-year-old gelding was saddled by Alden Francis for owners Lion Heart.

Having ridden 10 winners in the past three racedays, Walker thus pushed his season's tally to 28 - one ahead of Ellis who for the second consecutive raceday failed to ride a winner.

Ellis, in fact, had a miserable day in the saddle, losing aboard the highly fancied RAHMAN in the fourth race won by UNBREAKABLE HEART, not to mention NUMERO UNO, FELICIDAD in the eventful seventh race won by 6-1 chance PERFECT STEP and the day's five-star banker, SMOOTH DUDE, who could only manage third as the howling 3-5 favourite in the ninth race.

SMOOTH DUDE reared at the start and was left with too much to do as 9-1 outsider SIR KHAN romped home by five and a half lengths.

Although edging to the front, Walker received some bad news on Tuesday. He was slapped with a four-day suspension by the stewards for two separate riding infringements, picking up three days for careless riding aboard PUNDIT in the sixth race on March 1 and a further one day for careless riding aboard beaten favourite MR BLAIR in the eighth race last Saturday.

His suspension takes effect on Saturday, March 22.

Meanwhile, KING AL, running at odds of 9-2 with veteran jockey David McKenzie aboard, came through a furlong out to win the Long Shot Trophy (claiming $170,000) over 1300 metres by a length from the 65-1 outsider RED DRAGON and 9-5 favourite NIJINSKY'S WAR, heads on for second in a field of 13.

The winner, a 10-year-old bay gelding by Al's River Cat out of the Texas Prospector mare Zuki Princess, is owned by Austin D. Mattis and trained by Donovan Raymomd.

This was KING AL's 22nd career win from 105 starts.