The vastly improved four-year-old colt REGAL SELECTION completed a hat-trick of wins at Caymanas Park yesterday, this is the fourth running of the King's Plate open allowance feature over 1500 metres in stakes record time of 1:31.2.

Installed a 9-5 second favourite with former champion Shane Ellis aboard, REGAL SELECTION came through approaching the distance to win by 1 1/4 lengths from the 28-1 outsider HAIL THE GENIUS, running on.

In third place, another 1 1/2 lengths adrift, was long-time leader MR SKILL (2-1) under champion jockey Omar Walker, while the 8-5 favourite SLOGAN could only manage fourth. Top weight MINISTEROFJUSTICE was declared a late non-starter, reducing the field to seven.

As expected, MR SKILL, from the high-powered stables of champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, led on a tight rein from SLOGAN and THE QUEEN.

But REGAL SELECTION was pretty early after a sluggish start and swept past SLOGAN to go in chase of MR SKILL approaching the 600-metre marker.

He eventually went by MR SKILL early in the straight and with SLOGAN labouring on the rails in third at this stage, kept on strongly to win from the late-closing HAIL THE GENIUS (outpaced), who ran way above himself to finish a good second.

Owned by the Houston Stables and trained by Morris, Powell, REGAL SELECTION, a four-year-old bay colt by Natural Selection out of Chie Liu Poo, bred by the Y.S. (1955) Limited, notched up his second trophy race win from as many starts this season.