Emancipator showed once again that he is a horse best caught fresh when making an impressive reappearance in the Thomastown Handicap Hurdle at Gowran Park.

Although the Terence O'Brien trained seven-year-old has as many letters as numbers in his form figures over the last 12 months, those three numbers have all been 1's, with each coming on the back of a break.

A winner at Clonmel in April, the gelding then failed to complete on his next two starts, before going off on his summer holidays.

Fresh for this first start in 138 days, the son of Prince Flori jumped and travelled easily before arriving to challenge leader Clonbury Bridge at the second last. Jockey John Shinnick never had to ask a question as the quirky gelding sauntered home by eight lengths.

Terence O’Brien, “It’s brilliant and the syndicate (who sang The Banks Of My Own Lovely Lee in the winners enclosure) are really enjoying it.

“He’s burst a few times and was going to run a big race at the Festival meeting in Punchestown when he fell at the second last but when he’s healthy he’s good.

“He won fresh last year but I thought 14lb higher and he hadn’t really any fast work done but maybe I shouldn’t do any fast work with him and we can learn from that.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee.