The present invention relates to an improved design for use in fluid cracking processes, preferably used in either a fluid catalytic cracking (“FCC”) process or a fluid coking process. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus and process for improving the separation and distributing spent catalyst and gases in a spent catalyst riser associated with a fluid cracking process, and most preferably for use in a spent catalyst riser associated with an FCC regenerator vessel. A novel catalyst distributor design and associated processes are presented herein which significantly improve combustion in the dense-phase fluidized catalyst bed of a regenerator and results in improved regenerator dense bed combustion and lower migration of oxygen into the regenerator overhead region. As a result, afterburn is significantly reduced in the regenerator and higher catalyst bed temperatures are achieved with significantly more uniform bed temperatures due to the improved combustion characteristics in the dense-phase fluidized catalyst bed.