The eight-year-old won each of his five starts for trainer Harry Fry last season, culminating with Cheltenham Festival glory in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.

Making his first appearance since having been bought by leading owner JP McManus during the summer, Unowhatimeanharry was a 7-2 chance for this Grade Two assignment and travelled strongly throughout under Barry Geraghty.

High-class chaser Menorah, running over hurdles for the first time in almost five years, led the field into the straight, but the big guns were waiting to pounce.

Irish challenger Snow Falcon was still in with every chance when coming to grief three flights from the finish, which left 5-2 favourite Ballyoptic and Unowhatimeanharry to come through and challenge Menorah at the head of affairs.

Fry's charge jumped to the front at the second-last and readily breezed clear, passing the post six lengths clear of Ballyoptic, with Menorah the same distance away in third.

Paddy Power cut Unowhatimeanharry to 7-1 from 14-1 for the World Hurdle back at Cheltenham next March.

The Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot is the likely next port of call for the winner.

Fry said: "He gave us a great day in March and had it all to prove today. It's taken a while to get him out, but it's been worth waiting for. We took him out at Haydock last week because of the heavy ground. It wouldn't have mattered the way he's won today, but we just didn't want to get to the guts of him first time out under top-weight. There was this race today, but I could never have hoped or expected him to win like that and I'm thrilled to bits."

"He'll go to Ascot next in three weeks and the races pick themselves."

Barry Geraghty was riding Unowhatimeanharry for the first time and was suitably impressed.

"Harry's done a brilliant job. It was a bigger performance than we expected, we thought he had a chance, but he did it really well," said the jockey. He jumped well and travelled at every stage of the race. He's got a good attitude and really enjoys his racing. It was a great performance. It will be interesting to see how he fares when he steps up in grade."

"It's the first time I've ridden him and he's a bigger horse than I expected, a little more physical than I thought."

Ballyoptic's trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies is relishing a rematch with the winner at Ascot.

He said: " It was a slowly-run race, which probably didn't help us and we're looking forward to the Long Walk, which is over a bit further, which will help us. Hopefully the ground will be softer.

"He's been fine since his fall at Wetherby and hopefully he's still a World Hurdle contender, as off his mark there's nothing else to go for."

Menorah's trainer, Philip Hobbs, said: " I'm delighted with him and he'll probably run at Ascot in a handicap chase in three weeks' time if the ground is all right."

Noel Meade reported Snow Falcon to be none the worse for his unfortunate spill.

"He's perfect. He just came up too soon. He used to be a bit the other way and got in under them (hurdles)," said the trainer.

"He was going well at the time, but it was half a mile out, so you wouldn't know (what would have happened). After today the plan was always to go for Christmas, so I'd say the plan will still be the same. Hopefully he's okay, he seems okay and trotted away fine."