GUARDIAN CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

(27,490)

ACROSS

1 Normal procedure at home, interrupting course (7) 5 Horses from stud mostly fed with corn mash (7) 9 Friend beginning to play the fool (5) 10 Taking supporters back with cast (9) 11 At sea, eat no slugs as seafood (10) 12 Boat’s destination in song that sounds blue (4) 14 Head examiner is rating cool form (12) 18 Fully booked in mid-June and second half of July (12) 21 Month not the first that may be triumphal (4) 22 Unnecessary words? Not about bear (10) 25 Team, say, leading in America (9) 26 Grand filling for soldier’s jacket (5) 27 Pottery broken by remote conflict (7) 28 A king involved in The French Connection (7)

DOWN

1 Remember to pay another visit (6) 2 Abrupt changes of direction upset empty vessels (1-5) 3 Going on to make entrance without expert (2,8) 4 Moderates get revolutionary to swallow arsenic (5) 5 Cook is aware of audible college (9) 6 Fish getting away from posh speaker? (4) 7 Female writing line in smart gear (5,3) 8 FBI agents entertained by Tess playing parts (8) 13 Baker’s aid is secure after turning on grill (7,3) 15 Musical director finally hurried up? That’s the story (9) 16 Bird dog? A small pig! (8) 17 Restful location in which timewasting matriarch unwound? (8) 19 Bones in back start to ache (6) 20 Promise to participate (6) 23 Live comfortably after introduction to duchess (5) 24 Cheese for entrées that’s also for starters (4)