606 HISTORY OF THE 



ment with more accomplished severity. Many of 

 our readers will no doubt remember an instance of 

 this which occured in 1836, when he rode Bay 

 Middleton for the Two Thousand Guineas' Stakes. 

 Whether in obedience to orders, or from his own 

 mistake, he had left the race too fine ; but when, 

 finding his position, he set to with his horse, and 

 brought him successfully through a terrific strug- 

 gle, by the most skillful but desperate punish- 

 ment. 



Robinson's brother jockeys are well aware of this 

 superiority and even the best of them, with the ex- 

 ception of Chifney, fear to encounter this all accom- 

 plished rider when opposed to him in a "near 

 thing"; as appears in the two following instances, 

 when his opponent was William Scott, the well 

 known northern jockey, himself a first rate work- 

 man. The first of these was after the dead heat 

 between Cadland and the Colonel for the Derby in 

 1828, when while Robinson and Scott were prepar- 

 ing for the decidmg heat, it was remarked by more 

 than one observer that the latter appeared nervous 

 almost to agitation, as in despair of succeeding 

 against his great rival, in what could not fail to 

 prove a close contest ; and the event proved that 

 his fears were not without reason. The next case 

 was at the final struggle for the Great Portland 

 Handicap in 1836, when Scott, who had made sure 

 of the race on Birdlime, suddenly found Sheet 

 Anchor was being brought up by his dreaded ri- 



