Robert the Devil (horse)
Encyclopedia
Robert the Devil was a British Thoroughbred
racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1879 to 1881 he ran eleven times and won nine races. He was the leading three-year-old colt in Europe in 1880 when his wins incuded the Grand Prix de Paris
in France and the St Leger
and the Cesarewitch
in England. He had a notable rivalry with the Duke of Westminster's
colt Bend Or
, winning three of their five racecourse meetings. Robert the Devil was regarded by contemporary observers as one of the greatest horses of the 19th Century. He had limited success at stud and died in 1889.
high, may have been bred by a Mr Barclay. He was by far the best horse sired by Bertram, a useful sprinter who won the King's Stand Stakes
in 1872. Robert the Devil’s dam, Cast Off, had been barren for several years before being covered by Bertram and had been living semi-wild on the Cambridgeshire
fens, near Soham
. He trained by Charles Blanton and was bought by Charles Brewer, a well-known bookmaker for a sum of £2,500 as a two-year-old.
in late July, when he beat Dora and Edelweiss in a Rous Memorial Stakes valued at £2,067) He did not reappear until the autumn when he won the £212 First October Stakes. He attracted enough attention to go into the winter break as a leading contender for the following year's Epsom Derby
, being the 8/1 second favourite behind Bend Or.
, after a "very exciting race" with the pair finishing well clear. The defeat caused his odds for the Derby to drift out to 100/8.
, as Parliament was adjourned for the day despite the fierce objections of one member, Sir Wilfrid Lawson, who denounced the sport as "rascality and roguery". After a delay caused by the crowd overflowing onto the racecourse, Robert the Devil broke quickly and was sent into the lead by his jockey, Rossiter, with a mile to travel. He led the field down the hill and into the straight as several challengers emerged and then dropped away, and entering the final furlong he had a commanding lead and looked the likely winner. Fred Archer on Bend Or however, had been making gradual progress and sent his colt up to join the leader in the closing strages. Robert the Devil responded with a "brilliant effort", but at the line the favourite prevailed by a head after a "magnificent" finish. It was widely agreed that the riding of Archer on the winner was the main difference between the colts.
Following the race, much excitement" was caused when an objection was lodged against the winner on the grounds that he was “not the horse he was represented to be”.and that all his race entried were therefore not valid. This resulted from rumours that Bend Or had been accidentally switched with another colt named "Tadcaster" as a yearling at the Duke of Westminster's stud. The affair was described as the biggest scandal in racing since the "Running Rein" affair of 1844, when a four-year-old had been illegally entered in the Derby. The objection was rejected after a ten day private hearing.
Shortly after his defeat at Epsom
, Robert was sent to France for the 3000m Grand Prix de Paris, the most valuable race run in continental Europe. At Longchamp on 6 June he started 4/6 favourite against eight French colts for the £4,000 race. Rossiter teacked the leaders and turned into the straight in fifth pace before accelerating smoothly past his rivals and winning very easily by a length from Le Destrier with Milan third. Robert the Devil's owners donated £200 from their winnings to the poor of Paris. Robert the Devil was then sent to Newmarket
in July for the Midsummer Stakes in which for which he started 4/11 favourite. the filly Cipolata (receiving eleven pounds) was allowed to establish a clear lead before accelerating inside the last quarter mile and although Robert the Devil reduced the margin in the closing stages, he was still half a length behind at the finish.
with Bend Or the 5/4 favourite. The race was run in exceptionally wet and muddy conditions, but attracted a good attendance. Tom Cannon tracked the leaders on Robert the Devil before challenging Bend Or for the lead in the straight. He "shot clear" to win easily by three lengths from Cipolata, with Bend Or finishing sixth.His owners were reported to have taken £80,000 in winning bets on the race.
On September 28 Robert the Devil and Bend Or met for the third time in the Great Foal Stakes at Newamrket. Robert the Devil was made favourite and attempted to make all the running. Inside the final furlong he has headed by the Derby winner, but came back in the final strided to win an "intensely exciting" race by a short head. In the two and a quarter mile Cesarewitch "the greatest of English handicaps" he was originally assigned a weight of 116 pounds, but this was increased to 118 after his win in the St Leger. On October 12 he started at odds of 17/2 in a field of twenty-one. Cannon settled the colt in the early stages brfore moving through to take the lead inside the last quarter mile and pulled clear to win "in a canter" by four lengths from Cipolata (104), setting a weight-carrying record for a three-year-old. Two days after his handicap win he met Bend Or yet again in the Champion Stakes
. Rossiter was under instructions to lead from start ("make every post a winning one") and Robert the Devil produced a performance which "astounded" the crowd, running away fro his rival to win by ten lengths. The winning time was 2:10.00, an exceptional one for the date.
At tthe end of the year, Robert the Devils's owners put him up for sale, but the reserve price of £15,000 was not met.
At Royal Ascot in June, Robert ran twice. He on 15 June won the Gold Cup
over two and a half miles, beating Petronel, Exeter and the improving three-year-old Foxhall. Robert the Devil took the lead entering the straight and drew clear to win very easily by five lengths. Two days later at the same meeting he won the Alexandra Plate
over three miles.
Robert the Devil did not race again and his retirement was announced in the autumn.
carried out a poll of one hundred racing experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th Century. Robert the Devil was ranked tenth, having being placed in the top ten by thirty-one of the contributors (Bend Or finished 22nd). Robert the Devil earned £18,970 in 1880. Robert the Devil's class and consistency made him "the most popular horse to have run at Newnarket for many years." At the end of his three-year-old season he was acclaimed as the best three-year-old we have seen for many a year."
stud in Berkshire
.
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from 1879 to 1881 he ran eleven times and won nine races. He was the leading three-year-old colt in Europe in 1880 when his wins incuded the Grand Prix de Paris
Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.-History:...
in France and the St Leger
St. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
and the Cesarewitch
Cesarewitch Handicap
The Cesarewitch Handicap is a flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Newmarket over a distance of 2 miles and 2 furlongs , and the latter part is on the Rowley Mile. It is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event was...
in England. He had a notable rivalry with the Duke of Westminster's
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
colt Bend Or
Bend Or
Bend Or was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1880 Epsom Derby. His regular jockey Fred Archer, winner of thirteen consecutive British jockey titles, said Bend Or was probably the greatest horse he had ever ridden....
, winning three of their five racecourse meetings. Robert the Devil was regarded by contemporary observers as one of the greatest horses of the 19th Century. He had limited success at stud and died in 1889.
Background
Robert the Devil a big bay horse standing 16.2 handsHand (unit)
The hand is a non-SI unit of measurement of length, now used only for the measurement of the height of horses in some English-speaking countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. With origins in ancient Egypt, it was originally based on the breadth of a human hand...
high, may have been bred by a Mr Barclay. He was by far the best horse sired by Bertram, a useful sprinter who won the King's Stand Stakes
King's Stand Stakes
The King's Stand Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 5 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.-History:...
in 1872. Robert the Devil’s dam, Cast Off, had been barren for several years before being covered by Bertram and had been living semi-wild on the Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
fens, near Soham
Soham
Soham is a small town in the English county of Cambridgeshire. It lies just off the A142 between Ely and Newmarket . Its population is 9,102 , and it is within the district of East Cambridgeshire.-Archaeology:...
. He trained by Charles Blanton and was bought by Charles Brewer, a well-known bookmaker for a sum of £2,500 as a two-year-old.
1879: two-year-old season
Robert the Devil was unbeaten in two races as a two-year-old. His more significant win came on hid debut at GoodwoodGoodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...
in late July, when he beat Dora and Edelweiss in a Rous Memorial Stakes valued at £2,067) He did not reappear until the autumn when he won the £212 First October Stakes. He attracted enough attention to go into the winter break as a leading contender for the following year's Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
, being the 8/1 second favourite behind Bend Or.
Spring
Robert the Devil continued to attract support for the Derby, being a popular choice among professional gamblers and on 6 March his odds were reported as 100/15 (approximately 6.7-1). Robert the Devil made his first appearance of the season in a £575 Biennial Stakes at Newmarket on April 13 for which he started odds-on favourite against eight opponents. Ridden by Tom Cannon, he was beaten a head by Apollo, to whom he was conceding four poundsPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
, after a "very exciting race" with the pair finishing well clear. The defeat caused his odds for the Derby to drift out to 100/8.
Summer
In the Derby on 26 May he started at 7/1 in a field of nineteen, with Bend Or being made the 2-1 favourite. The race, which was run on very firm ground, attracted the customary huge crowd. Among those in attendance many MPsParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, as Parliament was adjourned for the day despite the fierce objections of one member, Sir Wilfrid Lawson, who denounced the sport as "rascality and roguery". After a delay caused by the crowd overflowing onto the racecourse, Robert the Devil broke quickly and was sent into the lead by his jockey, Rossiter, with a mile to travel. He led the field down the hill and into the straight as several challengers emerged and then dropped away, and entering the final furlong he had a commanding lead and looked the likely winner. Fred Archer on Bend Or however, had been making gradual progress and sent his colt up to join the leader in the closing strages. Robert the Devil responded with a "brilliant effort", but at the line the favourite prevailed by a head after a "magnificent" finish. It was widely agreed that the riding of Archer on the winner was the main difference between the colts.
Following the race, much excitement" was caused when an objection was lodged against the winner on the grounds that he was “not the horse he was represented to be”.and that all his race entried were therefore not valid. This resulted from rumours that Bend Or had been accidentally switched with another colt named "Tadcaster" as a yearling at the Duke of Westminster's stud. The affair was described as the biggest scandal in racing since the "Running Rein" affair of 1844, when a four-year-old had been illegally entered in the Derby. The objection was rejected after a ten day private hearing.
Shortly after his defeat at Epsom
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Epsom Downs is a Grade 1 racecourse near Epsom, Surrey, England. The "downs" referred to in the name are part of the North Downs. The course is best known for hosting the Epsom Derby, the United Kingdom's premier thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old colts and fillies, over a mile and a half...
, Robert was sent to France for the 3000m Grand Prix de Paris, the most valuable race run in continental Europe. At Longchamp on 6 June he started 4/6 favourite against eight French colts for the £4,000 race. Rossiter teacked the leaders and turned into the straight in fifth pace before accelerating smoothly past his rivals and winning very easily by a length from Le Destrier with Milan third. Robert the Devil's owners donated £200 from their winnings to the poor of Paris. Robert the Devil was then sent to Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
in July for the Midsummer Stakes in which for which he started 4/11 favourite. the filly Cipolata (receiving eleven pounds) was allowed to establish a clear lead before accelerating inside the last quarter mile and although Robert the Devil reduced the margin in the closing stages, he was still half a length behind at the finish.
Autumn
On September 15 Robert the Devil started 4/1 second favourite in a field of twelve for the St Leger at DoncasterDoncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...
with Bend Or the 5/4 favourite. The race was run in exceptionally wet and muddy conditions, but attracted a good attendance. Tom Cannon tracked the leaders on Robert the Devil before challenging Bend Or for the lead in the straight. He "shot clear" to win easily by three lengths from Cipolata, with Bend Or finishing sixth.His owners were reported to have taken £80,000 in winning bets on the race.
On September 28 Robert the Devil and Bend Or met for the third time in the Great Foal Stakes at Newamrket. Robert the Devil was made favourite and attempted to make all the running. Inside the final furlong he has headed by the Derby winner, but came back in the final strided to win an "intensely exciting" race by a short head. In the two and a quarter mile Cesarewitch "the greatest of English handicaps" he was originally assigned a weight of 116 pounds, but this was increased to 118 after his win in the St Leger. On October 12 he started at odds of 17/2 in a field of twenty-one. Cannon settled the colt in the early stages brfore moving through to take the lead inside the last quarter mile and pulled clear to win "in a canter" by four lengths from Cipolata (104), setting a weight-carrying record for a three-year-old. Two days after his handicap win he met Bend Or yet again in the Champion Stakes
Champion Stakes
The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October...
. Rossiter was under instructions to lead from start ("make every post a winning one") and Robert the Devil produced a performance which "astounded" the crowd, running away fro his rival to win by ten lengths. The winning time was 2:10.00, an exceptional one for the date.
At tthe end of the year, Robert the Devils's owners put him up for sale, but the reserve price of £15,000 was not met.
1881: four-year-old season
Robert the Devil's 1881 campaign began with an anti-climax as no owner entered a horse to oppose him in the Rosebery Plate at Newmarket, allowing him to walk over to claim the prize money. On June 3,at the Derby meeting, Robert the Devil met Bend Or for the fifth time in the Epsom Gold Gup, over the Derby distance of one and a half miles. The Derby winner was in good form, having produced an impressive weight-carrying performance to win the City and Suburban Handicap in April. With other intended runners dropping out the race became a match and attracted extraordinary interest and provoked unprecedented scenes of excitement. Robert the Devil set off in front, and Archer followed close behind on Bend Or. Approaching the final furlong, Archer made his move, sending Bend Or into the lead. On this occasion, Bend Or could not respond and Bend Or appeared to have won rather more easily than the neck margin suggested.At Royal Ascot in June, Robert ran twice. He on 15 June won the Gold Cup
Ascot Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
over two and a half miles, beating Petronel, Exeter and the improving three-year-old Foxhall. Robert the Devil took the lead entering the straight and drew clear to win very easily by five lengths. Two days later at the same meeting he won the Alexandra Plate
Queen Alexandra Stakes
The Queen Alexandra Stakes is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles, 5 furlongs and 159 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....
over three miles.
Robert the Devil did not race again and his retirement was announced in the autumn.
Assessment
In May 1886 The Sporting TimesThe Sporting Times
The Sporting Times was a weekly British newspaper devoted chiefly to sport, and in particular to horse racing...
carried out a poll of one hundred racing experts to create a ranking of the best British racehorses of the 19th Century. Robert the Devil was ranked tenth, having being placed in the top ten by thirty-one of the contributors (Bend Or finished 22nd). Robert the Devil earned £18,970 in 1880. Robert the Devil's class and consistency made him "the most popular horse to have run at Newnarket for many years." At the end of his three-year-old season he was acclaimed as the best three-year-old we have seen for many a year."
Stud career
Robert the Devil went to stud eith a valuation of £9,000 and stood ar a fee of £50. He had limited success at stud. His best runners included Chittabob (Champagne Stakes), El Diablo (Lowther Stakes) and Van Dieman’s Land (third in Epsom Derby). Robert the Devil died inspring 1889 at BeenhamBeenham
Beenham is a village and civil parish about east of Newbury in West Berkshire.-History:The history of the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary begins in about the end of the 12th century. An old print of the original building shows that it had some 13th century lancet windows and a 16th...
stud in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.