Financial Times 15,501 by Mudd

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of March 18, 2017

I found this fairly hard but managed to complete it without help, except for looking up ‘numbat’ (3d).  My clue of the week is 19a (PALINDROME).

ACROSS
1 Hood being worn in sleeveless coat (6)

CAPONE – ON (worn) in CAPE (sleeveless coat)
4 Brief shorts with tight top entering county (3,5)

HOT PANTS – anagram (tight) of TOP in HANTS (county)
9 Cooking pot, one degree tops (6)

OPTIMA – anagram (cooking) of POT + I (one) + MA (degree)
10 Church circle upset with a Lutheran at first (8)

CLERICAL – anagram (upset) of CIRCLE + A (a) + L[utheran]
12 Troublesome situation in the country for son of Jacob (8)

BENJAMIN – JAM (troublesome situation) in BENIN (the country)
13 Highlander bearing right behind English companion (6)

ESCORT – E (English) + R (right)  in SCOT (highlander)
15 One entering race total (4)

RUIN – I (one) in RUN (race)
16 Essentials second among load of underwear? (5,5)

BRASS TACKS – S (second) in BRA (underwear) + STACKS (loads)
19 Is it I? It is I! That’s it! (10)

PALINDROME – cryptic/by-example definition
20 Pull tie (4)

DRAW – double definition
23 Catch husband, perhaps, endlessly lying around (6)

ENTRAP – PARTNE[r] (husband perhaps, endlessly) backwards (lying around)
25 I’m jumping into guano, minor ego repelled (8)

GERONIMO – reverse hidden word
27 Stewed lamb with tuna on the move! (8)

AMBULANT – anagram of LAMB TUNA
28 Leave wet clothes entirely clean, initially (6)

DECAMP – E[ntirely] C[lean] in (clothes) DAMP (wet)
29 Nitrogen and oxygen in freezing drug (8)

NARCOTIC – N (nitrogen) and O (oxygen) in ARCTIC (freezing)
30 Behind police, eggs thrown over shooter (6)

METEOR  – MET (police) + ROE (eggs) backwards (thrown over)

DOWN
1 Threaten to collect runs, except for opener (7)

CROWBAR – R (runs) in COW (threaten) + BAR (except for)
2 Possible brew in teapot beginning to leak (9)

POTENTIAL – anagram (brew) of IN TEAPOT + L[eak]
3 Australian native miners on strike (6)

NUMBAT – NUM (miners, i.e. Nation Union of) + BAT (strike).  I had to look this up.
5 Heading off, Venetian traveller touring southern European city (4)

OSLO – S (southern) in [p]OLO (heading off Venetian traveller)
6 Sponge where jumper located, perhaps? (8)

PARASITE – PARA SITE (where jumper located perhaps)
7 Chip ends in pan, salsa and garlic, fish too (5)

NACHO – [pa]N [sals]A [garli]C [fis]H [to]O
8 Cooks bagging fifty honours (7)

SALUTES – L (fifty) in SAUTES (cooks)
11 Track south of constellation, source of reference (7)

LIBRARY – LIBRA (constellation) + RY (track, i.e. railway)
14 Is mother in Hades not entirely a patriarch? (7)

ISHMAEL – IS (is) + MA (mother) in HEL[l] (Hades not entirely)
17 Tissue, article used to catch a germ, primarily (9)

CARTILAGE – G[erm] in anagram (used) of ARTICLE
18 Sunken design inside label on upside-down painting (8)

INTAGLIO – IN (inside) + TAG (label) + OIL (painting) backwards (upside-down)
19 Man drinking wine in the early hours (3-4)

PRE-DAWN – RED (wine) in PAWN (man)
21 Wife riding kangaroo perhaps, great story! (7)

WHOPPER – W (wife) + HOPPER (kangaroo perhaps)
22 Stick together, chap having broken heart (6)

COHERE – HE (chap) in (having broken) CORE (heart)
24 Save up sovereign for potato (5)

TUBER – BUT (save) backwards (up) + ER (sovereign)
26 Rival testament in mail, case dismissed (4)

ANTI – NT (testament, i.e. New) in [m]AI[l]