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. Autumn On September 15 Robert the Devil started 4/1 second favourite in a field of twelve for the St Leger at Doncaster 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 Newmarket. Robert the Devil was made favourite and attempted to make all the running. Inside the final furlong he was headed by the Derby winner, but came back in the final strides 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 before 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 from his rivals to win by ten lengths. The winning time was 2:10.00, an exceptional one for the date. At the 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