The Crossword Centre Clue-Writing Competition

CCCWC November competition voters’ comments
 
Clue no. 41: Whereon child wanting companion to push hard from the other end goes in opposite directions?

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A clue to WILD MARE.
2 comments refer to this clue (from 2 competitors, 0 others)
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Comments on the competition
1.
There was less scope for inventive definitions and wordplay this month, and I felt the overall standard wasn't that high. The top five of a dozen or so honorable exceptions were 8 and 41 with good & lit. treatments, 19 (though saddled=mounted is dubious) and 42 for misleading definitions, and 25 for the disguised Wilde reference. Some tortuous wordplay was evident, e.g. in 1 and 37 where the definition was obscured by a homophone, and more so 15 with the multi-step anagram of (HE=MALE=MAIL + MARRIED=WED + 18th=R). Unsolvable I think. I wasn't keen on 16's lack of capitals and punctuation.
2.
This seems to have been tough, and I haven't given any clue more than 3 points. The many possible definitions make voting tricky. 30 is ingenious, but the surface reading doesn't make much sense, and Boris -> mayor -> mare is a bit of a stretch. Similarly 15's he -> male -> mail as anagram fodder. I'm doubtful about the intended homophone in 10. I'm afraid I can't see what 44 is getting at. I feel 26 doesn't quite work. 3 is amusing, but it could do with a definition as well. 41 is cleverly constructed, although a bit laboured. I feel this and 19 are about the best, although "with unwanted war" doesn't convince.