Crambo repeated his victory last year when he held on sullenly to win the second hurdle of the Houden Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot.
Since his victory in the race 12 months ago, his career has been in danger of going off the rails, having disappointed at Cheltenham and Aintree.
Trainer Fergal O'Brien wanted him to make a reappearance at Newbury last month but he wasn't quite right, meaning he will have to battle against rivals ready to race in Grade One when he returns for the season.
Off at 9/1, Crambo had plenty of work jumping in second place before his stamina kicked in.
The race was led by Beauport, better known as the hunter, and as he was given such an easy lead, in the penultimate flight he seemed to slip away from the field.
He was still ahead and jumped last, but he may have jumped that hurdle just a little too big, giving Crambo a chance to take advantage.
Once Johnny Burke got the better of him there was fresh danger as Henry de Bromhead's Hiddenvalley Lake held off a final challenge but he just missed by a head. Beauport remained third and The Wallpark fourth.
The beloved Strong Leader was one of the first to be defeated and never looked like he was going to win.
Jungle Boogie kicks off the Christmas party
Jungle Boogie clears the fence at Ascot
Jungle Boogie gave Henry de Bromhead and Darragh O'Keeffe their first winner at Ascot in the Howden Graduation Chase.
The talented but extremely fragile 10-year-old covered every meter of the run in what turned out to be an affair.
Only four went to the post office, only Iroko trained in Great Britain, while the others traveled from Ireland.
Unfortunately for Irok's supporters, they knew their fate early on as, jumping the first fence, he collided with a stray Phil Dora mid-air, giving Jonjo O'Neill Jr no chance.
Jungle Boogie took the field, but the pace was only sedate and clearly too slow for James Du Berlais, who was delighted by Daryl Jacob's hands and making mistakes.
The leader traveled very well in the Gold Cup when last seen, but failed to see the road at Cheltenham and on the second lap began to jump further and further to the left.
Formerly trained by Willie Mullins, he was unbeaten in the bouncer, maiden hurdle and novice chase, but after only three rides in almost as many years for the Closutton handler, he had more than two years off before joining De Bromhead .
However, he has been a sound ever since and is clearly a talented performer, running out an easy winner by eight lengths.
A family affair like Thank You Ma'am scores for the Nicholls team
Olive Nicholls on board Thank you madam for her mother Georgie
Young rider Olive Nicholls kept it in the family with a first win at Ascot as Thank you ma'am came first in the Thames Materials Handicap for Beginners.
Riding for her mother Georgie in a field that included a rival trained by her father Paul, Nicholls took a prominent position on the chestnut as he tried to break the duck after finishing second on six occasions.
The duo made all the running, settling into a lovely rhythm with a tidy round of jumping to take the lead at the final corner.
Nobody could make a dent on the breakaway at the line and it was the 11/4 favorite who cruised to a seven-and-a-half-length success to give the mother-daughter partnership even more reason to celebrate this Christmas.
Gary and Josh Moore's Kotmask then he prevailed in Howden Handicap Chasejustifying being favored at 13/8 under Caoilin Quinn.
The six-year-old has run twice well over the track already this term without a win, but improved on those efforts to score by a length and three-quarters, despite a slow jump in the last.