CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

No 16,968

ACROSS

6 Other filly I feed mostly roams having carefree existence (3,4,2,5)

9 Volatile man I linked to American shows hostility (6)

10 Figure on a German entertaining English adolescent (8)

11 Soldier with leading ambition firstly has delusions? (8)

13 Group on board a ship gets advantages (6)

15 Mock terrible revolutionary among outsiders in debate (6)

17 Bachelor before game gets very drunk (6)

19 Service in bottom of

ship or central part (6) 20 A support around minister, one who’s at event (8)

22 The best side taking out money to get afternoon indulgence? (5,3)

24 Set down for future reference musical work (6)

26 Senator in a rift disrupted friendly relations (14)

DOWN

1 Representative has normal drink around faceless bar (8,6)

2 Hard wood in ship’s tiller (4)

3 Embarrassing failure if held up on racecourse endlessly (6)

4 A note on Republican in decline in spite of contrary expectations (5,3)

5 Official document is kept in Virginia (4)

7 Catch section of hospital getting criticism (6)

8 Activity that precedes getting into office? (14)

12 One paid to wear a new protective garment (5)

14 Was on chair wearing glossy fabric (5)

16 Recall a top politician being slow to act (8)

18 This person’s sadly flipped over seasoned meat (6)

21 Sailor with light brown or patterned woollen cloth (6)

23 Singer’s partly emotional tone (4)

25 Crack golf shot (4)