SOME punters were left with severely burnt fingers after a 'comical' finish to a race at Ayr cost them a fortune on Wednesday evening.

A whopping £17,000 was placed on Bulls Aye at the minimum odds of 1-100 in-running on Betfair in the Guinness Apprentice Handicap.

And the horse looked home and hosed when he took a commanding seven-length lead a little over two furlongs out.

He was still four lengths clear well inside the final furlong – before the petrol tank began to empty in dramatic fashion.

His jockey Sophie Clements was desperately praying he would hold on as the horse, who was keen in the early stages, began to slow right down.

And the inexperienced claimer will have experienced that sinking feeling when 11-4 favourite Hostelry flew home late to catch him right on the line.

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Punters reacted with a mixture of humour and bemusement on social media at one of the most dramatic finishes of the season so far. One said: "Ouch! Not sure if it was the horse that fell in the hole or the jockey."

Another Tweeted: "The horse ran away with her early, but I think I could have done a better job on that in the finish!"

While another said: "That was absolutely comical! I feel sorry for anyone who backed the horse."

But those who saw their hard-earned go up in flames in a matter of seconds won't have seen the funny side.

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