He was the leading three-year-old colt in Europe in 1880 when his wins included the Grand Prix de Paris in France and the St Leger and the Cesarewitch in England.

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.

[11] Robert the Devil continued to attract support for the Derby, being a popular choice among professional gamblers[5] and on 6 March his odds were reported as 100/15 (approximately 6.7-1).

[12] 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 pounds, after a "very exciting race"[13] with the pair finishing well clear.

Among those in attendance many MPs, 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".

[15] 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.

[21] Shortly after his defeat at Epsom, Robert the Devil was sent to France for the 3000m Grand Prix de Paris, the most valuable race run in continental Europe.

Rossiter tracked the leaders and turned into the straight in fifth place before accelerating smoothly past his rivals and winning very easily by a length from Le Destrier with Milan third.

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.

[28] In the two and a quarter mile Cesarewitch "the greatest of English handicaps"[29] he was originally assigned a weight of 116 pounds, but this was increased to 118 after his win in the St Leger.

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"[30] by four lengths from Cipolata (104), setting a weight-carrying record for a three-year-old.

[35] 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 15 June he ran in the Gold Cup over two and a half miles, in which his opponents included the 1880 2000 Guineas winner Petronel and the American-bred three-year-old Foxhall who had recently won the Grand Prix de Paris.