Some jokes are just plain funny (to some folk anyway) but my favourites are those that create some kind of imagery. Anyway this is a version of one of my all time favourites.
The late Duke of Norfolk was manager of the MCC team touring Australia in 1962/63. Being an avid racegoer he'd often lease a horse to run in the local meeting if there was a racecourse near the cricket ground his team was playing at. As it happens, MCC was playing South Australia at Adelaide near which was a racecourse called Gawlor and the Duke had a horse running there.
Spotting his horse in a quiet part of the paddock the Duke, resplendent in pinstriped suit, panama hat and MCC ribbons walked over but, as he approached, to his horror he saw the trainer put his hand in his pocket and give the horse something to eat! He thought, "Oh my God, I'm a member of the Jockey Club at home." He marched up and and said, "I hope you haven't given him anything you shouldn't have, trainer."
"No, no, Your Grace," said the trainer, "I just gave him a lump of sugar. I'm going to eat one myself. Would you like one too, Your Grace?"
The Duke thought he'd better humour him so he ate the lump of sugar, chatted briefly about the race then went off to watch it from the grandstand.
Meantime the jockeys mounted their steeds and the trainer said to his rider, "Look, this is a 7 furlong race. I want you to sit easy in the middle of the pack for 5 furlongs then for the last two bring him out and give him all you've got!! And don't worry if anything passes you after that. It'll either be me or The Duke of Norfolk!!"
The late Duke of Norfolk was manager of the MCC team touring Australia in 1962/63. Being an avid racegoer he'd often lease a horse to run in the local meeting if there was a racecourse near the cricket ground his team was playing at. As it happens, MCC was playing South Australia at Adelaide near which was a racecourse called Gawlor and the Duke had a horse running there.
Spotting his horse in a quiet part of the paddock the Duke, resplendent in pinstriped suit, panama hat and MCC ribbons walked over but, as he approached, to his horror he saw the trainer put his hand in his pocket and give the horse something to eat! He thought, "Oh my God, I'm a member of the Jockey Club at home." He marched up and and said, "I hope you haven't given him anything you shouldn't have, trainer."
"No, no, Your Grace," said the trainer, "I just gave him a lump of sugar. I'm going to eat one myself. Would you like one too, Your Grace?"
The Duke thought he'd better humour him so he ate the lump of sugar, chatted briefly about the race then went off to watch it from the grandstand.
Meantime the jockeys mounted their steeds and the trainer said to his rider, "Look, this is a 7 furlong race. I want you to sit easy in the middle of the pack for 5 furlongs then for the last two bring him out and give him all you've got!! And don't worry if anything passes you after that. It'll either be me or The Duke of Norfolk!!"