No doubt many have heard this ancient story but for those who haven't :
The day is often recalled when the late Duke of Norfolk accosted a trainer he had noticed giving "something" to a horse an hour or so before a race. "My good man! You should not be doing that sort of thing," said the Duke. "It could have a deleterious effect on racing."
The little cockney trainer replied that the "something" was merely a handful of sugar cubes - "quite harmless, Your Grace". To prove his bona fides, the trainer added, "I'll eat one and you have one too - they're nice and sweet." The Duke duly accepted the offer of the tidbit.
With that the trainer and the Duke departed. The trainer then walked over to his jockey and advised bluntly: "Now look, if anything passes you on this horse it will be either me or the Duke of Norfolk!"
Gentlemen Of The Australian Turf by David Hickie
I shouldn't laugh as it makes light of equine (and human) welfare - I'll blame my convict past