Tis the Cup, So Giddy Up

First into the barrier is:

MP: Eg, the Sydney Morning Herald crossword

RJ: Groan - lame joke.

VC: An exceptionally good old stick.

J: Poke about American speakeasy and Cockney lowlife

AT- A non-drinker, like a Qantas pilot?

Smart jump, jockeys. There's something wonderful about all five pacesetters. Speakeasy and Qantas pilot are ground-breakers and we've only just leapt.

D- Presume I rode backwards in...

AT - Battalion's centre followed by a queen's head.

AT: Came to a shortfall in speech

MD- Bake mad ivy poison

D- Big Bird has a day outside

VC: Overt pacing

MD: Makeover your blackheads by swapping 1 down and 5 across.

D: Takes our dimes, perhaps?

T: I got in westbound traffic snarl

RJ: No rash jog for this runner

MP: This horse has a pied muzzle

RJ- Rough head on topless bogan kid

MD: Mash baked yam four times

VC- IN TAG?

T: Oddly watched that wary, iffy flinch

J: Painted a bezel jade, without a red back

MP- I made changes to confuse...

T- Conditions reflected in chaotic wet race ease out

i don't know about you folks but this year i've got my money on

XXXXX: (Winner of 2010 Melbourne Cup by) surprise margin!

J- AFL legend sounds like he could be Spanish?

ps I hope Maluckyday gets up...partly because it was good to me on Saturday, and partly because the name is a corker for wordplay, eg-

Good fortune in the midst of distress

Sweet observation, SK. And the gelding just has to be a mudrunner with A Mucky Lady in her 'connections'.

Clue-wise, I'm barracking for Holberg and Descarado, as these offer setters some fresh letter patterns. Or so I think.

T: Jerk covers a western tune

VC: Stem, enclose, cut, cut

MD- Play back segments of a video (nothing left out) by kamikaze flyer

D: Tudor, ie museum piece

Dammit. Had Maluckyday, but-

...when the rain came I changed

A: IRA cinema outrage

DA,

You could probably put an umbrella up for my 'parade rain' but "Tawrrific" has two R's

A: Peels off same new pricy paint

dg - noted, and thanks. The hawrriffic glitch has been amended in the master list.

Ahh...and only one F... That changes everything.

T- Brutal raw friction, no less

A- Main race I nailed (not)

Sheesh - I still misspelt it. I hate this horse. NOW it's been nobbled to please the stewards.

Revised T:

Took Australia's (world's?) richest race. In fact, it crushed every starter.

MD: Perhaps about end of trek, keen to go back.

RJ: Back nag or horseplay

JD, and gym bunnies - welcome back after a brief spell, and welcome, fullstop. Two thoroughbred clues as well.

RJ: Horse stabbed by deodorised Greek kid

A: Without defnding France I am one hack

Take 2

A: Without defending France I am one hack

and for the revised spelling

T: In a fashion I craft wire endlessly

VC: Pacer voting informally

RJ: Paterson has an improved beginning, in the first part of Jewish New Year.
I must have had a busy week at work last week, and the limericks were just hard.

D: First three notes sung badly before us.

MP: Spooner provides a web info site restraint.

D: Save us from sins, Reverend Spooner

(though I've had to take a punt on pronunciation)

Incidentally, speaking of sins, the legendary Red Rum is of course a reversal...

A: Idle in a principal route.

A: Jong in Idi!

A:In Parramatta,"L'aqua" Day Spa will indulge you.
(Edit last entry to - Idi embraces Jong)

J: Biblical floozy takes drug

AT: Starts a true thoroughbred and loses a quid

and my earlier VC was just plain wrong - try

VC: Lousy overt pacing was not his forte

RJ: First to jump in race of giants leads by almost a nose, finishing fourth

AMERICAIN: Big Brother is cool?

AMERICAIN: LAIN?

VC: Horse-racing vet surgery

A: Put us down in French?

A: PUT US DOWN IN FRENCH

J- Leaders in jackets- Ermenegildo Zegna and Boss evoke envious looks

I'm rather late to the party, but please accept this humble offering.

A: I'm in a race, perhaps*?

*Sadly I couldn't come up with a worthy anagram signpost. Suggestions?

I'm in a race riot

T: Box trifecta write-off?

MD: Chicken Kiev almost made by a legend?

MD: Chicken Kiev almost made by a modern superstar?

MP: Doctor made up lie about snoozing

J: In France I return to Sophie Luhrman

D: Do Re Mi disturbed Uncle Sam

VC: Prime cut

AT: Varney leaves regatta with the French queen

MD: Cook takes back hungry boy, keen to return

A: A dinner course that includes rice pudding

dg, your Tawrrific clue is one step from sublime, I reckon. Just seeing the potential of TRIFECTA in the letters, and dreaming up a compound anagram is scary-smart. (Add the brilliance of BOX as signpost - ouch...)

But as it stands, I can't quite make it work. What about this direction:

Box trifecta - writer's losing 'street'

Can you trace your current draft to completion, or is it a tad awary? It's a fine brain-stirrer, the kind of thing a setter ponders to open up a fresh idea.

PS, LR, a nice anagram. Why not try:

In a race I'm champ!

Last two...

RJ: Artless arrogant Bjelke-Petersen has first sign of senility

T: Remove your heading from Warcry if it is rewritten

dg I'm also a big fan of that clue....so DA I'm guessing the stumbling block is no gap between the "wri" and the "te" to be removed?

An alternative (but doesn't flow anywhere near as well as dg's original)-

Box trifecta written, nett loss

Sorry that doesnt work. Brain not in gear.

One more try-

Box trifecta- wire yet lose

Sorry, and no I haven't been drinking...

Box trifecta- wiry yet lose

Box trifecta- wireless set, else lose

Getting too convoluted now. Takes away from dg's original genius idea. back to the pub...

How about:

Box trifecta - write note

Nope, that doesn't work either.

A: In behind whipped mare trailing exotica

ps: i was so far off with my Shocking prediction for yesterday

A: In behind whipped mare trailing exotica

ps: i was so far off with my Shocking prediction for yesterday

My tip:

T: Box trifecta (include 2 & 13, forget 10 on the tote)

OR

Box trifecta, write off the last quinella

A: Galloper wins a most entertaining race, it cruises ahead in November

D: Stick up for the first Australians?

J: A sheila an' 'er bloke took the ute up

J: A sheila an' 'er bloke took a ute up

AT: The odds of Astute and Afloat are the top quote

RJ: A jumper in the States is seven hands high?

MP: Shut up store; gave back everyone's capital

MP: Shut up store; gave everyone's capital back

A (whole clue)- Premier horse race, I am in sweep

Sorry, that should have been-

Premier horse race, I'm in a sweep

T: Listened to ripped guitar solo,in charge.

Piece of amusing trivia:

the last 3 races lost by So You Think were won by

Americain

All American

Starspangledbanner

(only other loss was to More Than Great)

That's a fascinating fact, dg

So, apart from a few canny anagrammers, every So You Think punter has been snagged on that "tiny U.S. hook"

Thank goodness for daylight savings.
T: Fire, water and ice, swirling, lack energy.