Grand Steeple-Chase hero overcomes cancer to triumph at Auteuil once again

The winner of France's premier jumping test, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, scaled one of the sport's peaks in 2014 but Storm Of Saintly has had bigger mountains to climb since that sunny May afternoon four and a half years ago.

So there were no shortage of cheers and tears when Jeannot Andt's homebred nine-year-old and jockey Bertrand Lestrade returned to the Auteuil winner's enclosure following a hard-fought success in the Listed Prix General Donnio on Sunday as trainer Guillaume Macaire revealed that Storm Of Saintly had endured monumental health challenges on his road back to the big time.

Macaire said: "It isn't easy to get a horse like him back to his best, people have no idea. He was held up for nearly two years with all manner of problems which stemmed from cancer, for which he had to undergo an operation in Germany."

Following the long absence, Macaire reintroduced Storm Of Saintly to action at Auteuil last month, and with a run under his belt and the step up in trip in his favour, he was able to show his true colours this time.

Back where he blongs: Storm Of Saintly and Bertrand Lestrade return to the Auteuil winner's enclosure after winning the Prix General DonnioCredit: Racing Post / Scott Burton

"Such horses usually have their careers behind them but we have followed the logical programme in coming here after he made his comeback over too short a trip," he said. "He was much happier over further here and on heavy ground."

Andt confessed he had paced the halls inside the grandstand, refusing to even listen to the commentary, much less watch Storm Of Saintly's progress over the water jump in front of the grandstand and the big open ditch in the back straight.

Macaire previously demonstrated his patience when bringing 2013 Grand Steep victor Bel La Vie back to winning ways after the horse was confined to his box for six months following a fractured pelvis.

With the Auteuil season winding down for the winter the trainer said he was unsure what the future held for Storm Of Saintly. For once it seems entirely fair to let trainer and owner take their time in savouring this particular success.

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