At the scene of his greatest triumph, Rock On Ruby rolled back the years to floor younger rivals under Noel Fehily.
The winner of the 2012 Champion Hurdle travelled smoothly throughout the two-and-a-half-mile contest and found more than the pursuing Vaniteux when push came to shove on the run to the final flight.
He scored from Vaniteux by two and a half lengths, with Cole Harden - who had helped the winner cut out a fairly modest pace in the opening stages - rallying close home in third.
Fehily said: "I've said before how much this horse means to me and he seems to be getting better.
"Cole Harden didn't go as fast as normal and Rock On Ruby is getting easier to ride as he gets older.
"The ground is very tacky and there's a strong headwind, so I didn't want to do all the donkey work. He was in front plenty long enough but he just seems to be getting better.
"I think he won quite cosy, Harry had been telling me what good form he was in since his last run."
Sky Bet cut the winner to 10/1 for the Ladbrokes World Hurdle, but offer non-runner no-bet on that race, which offers understandable appeal given the uncertainty over this eventual target.
However, a thrilled Fry, whose six-week-old daughter Ruby was among those present to welcome back the winner, seemed more convinced after the race that a run in the World Hurdle would now be on the cards.
"The reception he just got says it all! He's turned 10 yet is still showing the young horses how it's done," beamed Fry.
"He's got such a good record here it would almost be a sin not to come in March and the one race for him is the World Hurdle which means stepping him up in trip, but he'll get the entry.
"Over two miles he has to force the issue all the time and it doesn't suit. Noel was worried about the ground today, but he's fit and well so he took his chance.
"We wont know if he stays until we try. The ground today was much tackier than last time. There's nothing wrong with this race, Annie Power won it last year and the good thing is my horse shows all of his best form at Cheltenham."
Nicky Henderson said of the unplaced Beat That, one of last year's leading staying novices: "It's a bit of a puzzle that he hasn't really come to himself yet. I thought he travelled really well but he didn't get home.
"Vaniteux didn't travel as well as he usually does and if we were going to beat the winner, we needed to be hard on the steel at the last. He's run four cracking races here at Cheltenham. We'll wait for some better ground and possibly take him to a different track."