There was no fairytale comeback for Bryan Cooper at Limerick as he could only finish third on Guitar Pete in the Dunraven Arms Hotel Hurdle.
The race was won by Clarcam, the horse on which Cooper suffered a broken leg when falling in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival.
Gordon Elliott's Clarcam is owned by Cooper's boss, Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud, but he was allowed off Clarcam to ride Dessie Hughes' Guitar Pete, on whom he had won a Grade One at Aintree.
Cooper made the early running before letting The Plan Man cut out the donkey work on the second circuit.
Approaching the second-last just about all four were in a line before The Plan Man faded, followed by Guitar Pete.
Aidan O'Brien's Plinth held a definite advantage at the last but he met it wrong, allowing Carcam and Kevin Sexton the chance to challenge again and the 3-1 chance prevailed in a photo-finish.
Elliott said: "Bryan came up the other morning and we thought he'd need the run and Gigginstown were good enough to let him off, but unfortunately it hasn't worked out for him.
"It was a bit like Murphy's Law, but it's great for the boss to win. I'm feeling good, plenty fit enough" - Bryan Cooper
"It wasn't expected, but it was nice. He'll more than likely go chasing now, touch wood the way he jumps he should have no problems over fences."
The irony of the result was not lost on Cooper, who said: "He'll improve for that, I left him alone once he was beaten after the second-last.
"It was a bit like Murphy's Law, but it's great for the boss to win. I'm feeling good, plenty fit enough."
