Sam Waley-Cohen finished third on favourite Long Run at the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The amateur jockey, who won the race 12 months ago, simply had no answer to 8-1 shot Synchronised, ridden by Tony McCoy. The Giant Bolster, priced at 50-1 came home in second place.
Waley-Cohen told Channel 4: "He ran his race and you are disappointed he didn't win, but not disappointed in the horse. There is no hard luck story here.
"I was happy going down the hill but when some space opened up, instead of poking through as he would if he had more in the tank, he couldn't get away.
"When heading over the last I thought his stamina might see him through but it didn't."
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