Smart hurdler Master D'Oc joins Haras de Toury roster for 2025

Haras de Toury has announced a big new stallion acquisition for 2025 in the shape of young jumper Master D'Oc.

Trained for the second part of his short career by Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm, the four-year-old was a winner of the Grade 3 Prix Robert Lejeune at Auteuil in the autumn of 2023. He made the last of five starts with one outing in a chase, the Prix Didier Mescam, back in the spring.

He joins another young sire Na Has, a black-type chaser and son of Saint Des Saints on the roster at the farm in the Nievre department in central France

"He was one of the leading young National Hunt horses in the country last year and he's the first son of Doctor Dino to enter stud worldwide," said Toury's owner, Bertrand de Soultrait.

"He's a grey horse and he's 1m 72cm, so very big. He's also a full brother to Master Dino, a magical Grade 1 winner who was one of the very best in France.

The sire's brother Master Dino looked an exceptional prospect at Plumpton in 2019Credit: Edward Whitaker

"We're very excited about him and I think it's a big thing for breeding in the National Hunt industry in the country. He's a beautiful horse who walks like a champion, he's got the performances and he's got the pedigree, so I believe we have the three main factors together to make a great young sire."

The operation has announced that the sibling to a handful of other winners will stand at an opening fee of €3,200.

Master Dino was an ante-post favourite at Cheltenham in 2019 after making an impressive British novice chase debut at Plumpton in early 2019 but was injured and made only one more appearance in a career which also included the championship events for three and four-year-old hurdlers in France. 

Their sire, Doctor Dino, is now perhaps Europe's most coveted jumps stallion, responsible for Champion Hurdle hero State Man and Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris winner Docteur De Ballon.

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