Sixteen additional words in clues to be removed and 10 answers requiring treatment before grid entry. But no clue as to that treatment until the 16 are found and their first or last letters are used to give a phrase of explanation.
Took a while to get going – probably hindered by the fact that not all the answers were the same length as their grid entry lengths.
The extra words fell out rather easier yielding
HORSES FOR COURSES
All the 10 clues to be modified (replaced) were synonyms of Course and these needed to be replaced with horses. I think they are random replacements but I may have missed something.
Thanks Kruger and a Happy New year to all. May 2018 bring some stability back to our lives.
Key:
Rev. Reverse ; DD Double definition; * anagram; Underline definition; Bold underline extra word.
Across
1 Heartless media blocked by bad-tempered person’s movement (8)
Press (media) – e (heartless) around ogre (bad-tempered person) = PROGRESS = CHAMPION (as in the Wonder Horse)
7 Amiable people generally engaged in company (5)
We (people generally) in set (company) = SWEET = PUNCH (short legged draught horse)
11 Is sickly Australian woman often seen with Craig? (5)
Ails (is sickly) + a (australian) = AILSA
12 Sir Patrick perhaps accepts one originally desirable Spanish gold coin (7)
Moore (Sir Patrick perhaps) around I (one) = d (originally desirable) = MOIDORE
13 Fashion designer’s collected new bed (7)
Chanel (Fashion designer) around n (new) = CHANNEL = TRIGGER (Roy Rogers)
15 Finish off scaffold for outlawed man (4)
Stage (scaffold) – e (finish off) = STAG
17 Missing out third and fourth notes of scale, teenager played prelude… (6)
(teenager – a – g)* (g,a are 3rd and 4th notes of E minor) = ENTRÉE = ENTIRE (A stallion)
18 …or notes in a discordant echo (10)
(or notes in a)* = RESONATION
20 Sound measure: dressing nude attending bereavement (8)
Loss (bereavement) around (nude)* = LOUDNESS
22 Agreement to buy back your incomplete works reviewed (4)
Rev. (Opera (works) – a (incomplete)) = REPO
23 Foreign system of rules includes latest ideas from Japan (6)
Ethic (system of rules) around n (latest from Japan) = ETHNIC
25 Cruise perhaps happy to turn into bay in Orkneys (6)
Voe (bay in Orkneys) around Rev. gay (happy) = VOYAGE = MAIDEN (horse that has never won a race)
26 Ancestor’s grub (4)
DD ROOT
27 Oddly, across clues shocked non-clerics (8)
(a + r + s + clues)* = SECULAR
30 Evening classes having time for educating children in chamber (10)
Night school (evening classes) swapping t for ch (children) = NIGHT STOOL
33 Wild sheep retreat over in South America (6)
Rev. (lair) (retreat) in US (America) = URIALS
36 Bachelor’s killed in fire. Do nothing (4)
Blaze (fire) – B (bachelor) = LAZE
37 Hunter shortly to walk wearing Indian’s clothing (7)
Hike (Walk) – e (shortly) in Sari (Indian’s clothing) = SHIKARI
38 Not being self-centred, East German friend loses out (7)
EG (east german) + (loses)* = EGOLESS
39 Hen Jock’s always held in both hands (5)
LR (both hands) around aye (Jock’s always) = LAYER = BOXER (As in Animal Farm)
40 More sound from power tool when bit of dust removed (5)
Sander (power tool) – d (bit of dust) = SANER
41 Dolls yet to change way Julian could decide on dates (8, two words)
(dolls yet)* = OLD STYLE
Down
1 Provide food for four once (5)
DD CATER
2 Crofter’s stock of two sheep relish roaming (6)
(relish)* = HIRSEL
3 Surfer descended on tidal wave having no depth (4)
(tidal – d)* = ALIT
4 Uncultured individual hiding silver in metal drum (5)
Ag (silver) in pan (metal drum) = PAGAN
5 Ignoring director, somehow conditions can decide skater’s routine (8, two words)
(can decide – d)* = ICE DANCE
6 Beak has been informed, we hear (4)
Homonym of knows = NOSE
7 In Aberdeen, John occasionally breaks most of expensive instruments (6)
Ian (In Aberdeen John) in posh(expensive) – h (most of) = PIANOS
8 Saw unscrupulous fellow switched outside croquet ball (7)
tice (croquet ball) in Rev. Don (fellow) = NOTICED
9 At first, coastguard overlooks extraordinary vessel (5)
C (at first coastguard) + rare (extraordinary) = CRARE
10 Enemy go all over the place under hard leadership (8)
(enemy go)* after h (hard) = HEGEMONY
14 He creates unreliable passenger trains again (9)
(he creates)* = RETEACHES
16 Tow vehicle back to rear of block (5)
Rve. Car (vehicle) + k (rear of block) = RACK = MOUNT
19 Study of books initially altered title (8)
Heading (title) changing initial letter = READING = HERCULES (As in Steptoe and Son)
21 Dirtied nearly all of Morag’s cap in hut (8)
Shed (hut) around mutch (cap) – h = SMUTCHED
22 Educated woman soon possesses American lasso (5)
Rita (Educated woman) around a (American) = RIATA
24 Stratum in Croatia containing old bit of ironware by detailed area (7)
HR (Craotia) around o (old) + I (bit of ironware) + zone (area) – e (detailed) = HORIZON
27 Seek liqueur society rejected (6)
Chasse (liquor) – s (society) = CHASE = SILVER (Lone ranger)
28 Fool upset prudent man in dicing game (6)
Rev. sap (fool) + sage (prudent man) = PASSAGE = SORREL (Reddish brown horse)
29 Supporter conceals brave leader of alternative government in foreign city (5)
Bra (supporter) around ag (alternative government) = BRAGA
31 Stops important person boarding steamship (5)
Nib (important person) in ss (steamship) = SNIBS
32 Dormouse on top of less edible flower (5)
Loir (dormouse) on e (top of edible) = LOIRE
34 Not so hot espresso soothes to some extent (4)
Hidden espresSO SOothes = SO-SO
35 Soft New Englander’s chopper held by flipping unknown women (4)
Rev. y (unknown) + w (women) around ax (American chopper) = WAXY
Well I never! This very theme was used in the October Guardian Genius by Chandler, although the approach was totally different. It’s a small world.
I didn’t find all of the courses but I got all of the horses.
I was fixed on the pairs having the same number of letters, so I was never going to succeed.
(Although I had TRACK + MOUNT at 16D).
I think I was aided by having done the Guardian Genius although (as DaveW sid) the two approaches were quite different.
Thanks to Kruger and twencelas.