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COBHAM STUD SIEJES. Captain Merry, the widely known Los Angeles, Cal., turf writer, is touring in England and in a recent letter to the San Francisco Breeder and Sportsman gives the following graphic description of the great sires at the famous Cobham Stud: "The Cobham Stud was a company organized after the death of Mr. William Blenkiron to take over the most of the horses belonging to the Middle Park Stud which made such fame for the decedent. Owing to some bad financial management the Cobham concern became insolvent and finally passed into the bands of Mr. Allison, and the genial North Yorkshire-man soon placed it on a paying basis which I trust may long continue. "There are eight stallions now located at tho farm, which is situated on tho river Mole in one of tbe most beautiful portions of Surrey, nearly forty miles from London. The day was dark and lowering, but tho ride was made in an hour, whore we found a village cart drawn by a stout cob awaiting to take us to the farm nearly two miles away. The pleasant-faced North Yorkshire man met us at the door with his bonny wife and daughter by his eido. After a glass of wine to keep out the cold we started for the stables, and the first of the sires that greeted .our eye was that magnificent old brown horse, Trenton, now paBt 20. The old hero, who has the prettiest imaginable way of carrying his head, would readily phbb for 14 and has his book filled for the next two years. Nothing could be more beautiful than the kindly glance of Mb handsome brown eyes, and his back is swayed but little with his two-score years. "Next to him stood the traveling, conquering terror of Australia in the eighties the big and beafitiful Abercorn. a red chestnut with, i mane and tail a still darker red than the rest of his coat. He won twenty-one races in all, i only two of which were handicaps and in both j of them he carried top weight, 135 pounds. He is now seventeen, but owing to good care, he does not show it. His good temper also has much to do with this. His fee is fifty guineas and his ! book is full for next-year. I regard him aB the truest made and moBt perfect big horse that it has ever been my good fortune to ceo. "Next came Aurum, the best three-year-old of his day at the antipodes, and I neverbefore saw such a real prize fighter on four lege. He is now eight years old and built on lines very much like those of Luke Blackburn, a heavy body set on short legs. His sire was Trenton, and his dam, Aura, was own Bister to the Admiral, thuB giving him two crosses of the great Fisherman. Aura also produced Auraria, the Melbourne Cup winner of 1895, at odds of 30 to 1. Not only this, but she won the Victoria Oaks and dead-heated Wallace, a Derby winner, for the Fisher Plate at two and one-half miles all in the same week. Aurum is becoming already a great favorite with the select English breeders. " Now, heres a fellow you may like or may not, but I sent him out to the colonies at 800 guineas and bought him back at 3,400, so you can ;udg9 if I have a liking for him or not, eaid Mr. Allison. Tho good natured groom opened the door and here etood a dark brown horse Bill of Portland, by the unbeaten St. Simon. I think him the finest looking Black-lock horse I ever saw. He was just low enough in flesh to show Mb magnificent conformation and has a racy cut about Mm that captures you at the vory first glance. Of course Florizel has furnished the first and second horses in a St. Legor, which has been true of none other since Stockwell, but 1 ehall be surprised to find him as shapely a horse aB Bill of Portland, which was tho only horse in Australia to head the list at tbe close of his third season. He wae very gentle, though no more so than any of the rest of the Cobham sires; and I feasted my eyes on him as he stood in his box and sniffed the murky autumn air with his great flaring noB-trils. "Sir TriBtan, a five-year-old bay with a very intelligent face and superb propelling power, occupied the next box. His breeding is exceptionally good, being by Bend dOr Angola, by Macheath, from Angelica dam of Orme and sister to St. Simon, by Galopin. If there is any better bred horse than he I dont know where to look for him. I have already written to one of your prominent breederB advising him to purchase this splendid young horse, even though ho is affected in his wind. Prince Charlie was a roarer, but if he were alive Ms book would be full at ,000. "Merman came next, tho greatest foreign bred horBe that ever tramped the English turf except Gladiateur. He won the Lewie Handicap and Cesarowitch inhis first season in England, tho Jockey Club Cup in the second, the Goodwood Cup and Goodwood Stakes on consecutive days in his third and the Ascot Gold Cup in his fourth. He is a very dark chestnut with a narrow blaze and is rapidly thickening out into a Buperb looking horse. iPerhaps his greatest performanco was his second to Fourise in tho Prix Dearville in France, in which he carried 145 pounds to Fonrises 123. He made a very good season at 1C0 guineas this year, having retirad from the turf a perfectly Bound horse. "The last horse Bhown was Baliol, now in his twonty-third year and the last surviving son of the great Blair Athol, who died at this place. His dam was also the dam of that consistent performer and most worthy sire, DoncaBter, For bone and substance I can hardly recall his equal. He has a blaze face and four legs white to the knees and hocks, thus resembling hia Bire more than any other horse he ever got."
