No 12654, Monday 17 Jun 2019, Dr. X

ACROSS
1   What a trekker in desert might be very close to finding? (3,2,3,5) HOT ON THE TRAIL [DD]
8   Rechecked it! Totally shows the same thing (5) DITTO [T]
9   Associate, presumptuous, rues silly cracks (9) APERTURES {A}{PERT}{RUES*}
11 Free issue includes film review (10) EMANCIPATE {EMAN{PIC<=}ATE}
12 Drunkard’s love for girl in group (4) WINO WIN(-g+o)O
14 Delighted by request to have intercourse endlessly (7) PLEASED {PLEA{SEx}D}
16 Author involved in creating opus speaks freely (5,2) OPENS UP {O{PEN}SUP*}
17 Positive particles from uranium leaking out! Warn head of security (7) CATIONS {CAuTION}{Se...y}
19 Many tucking into hot German bread (7) STOLLEN {STOL{L}EN}

21 Feeling sick, queen discarded a piece of cake (4) EASY quEASY
22 Star and model entering home to cheat (10) HEARTTHROB {HEAR{T}TH}{ROB}
25 Made up any rubbish answer in disdain (4,1,4) SPUN A YARN{SPU{ANY*}{A}RN}
26 Growing old? Getting angry! Not right (5) AGING rAGING
27 Drives, drinks, crushes man on track and gets ruined (4,2,3,4) GOES TO THE DOGS {GOES}{TOT}{HE}{DOGS} (Correction - {GOES}{TOT{HE}{DOG}S} - See comments)

DOWN
2   Brutality of Republican curbed by loss of power (7) OUTRAGE {OUT{R}AGE}
3   When one might wear nice clothes from time to time (2,8) ON OCCASION [DD]
4   Man overwhelmed by work around March (5) TRAMP {TRA{M}P<=}
5   A little stunned after Left topples Right in assembly polls (9) ELECTIONS E(-r+l)LECTIONS (Correction - {E(-r+l)LECTION}{St...d} - See comments)
6   Not good to annoy judge (4) RATE gRATE
7   Public houses around Uri bombed and destroyed (2,5) IN RUINS {IN{URI*}NS}
8   Abundant financial resources? Peep happily through bills (4,7) DEEP POCKETS {D{PEEP*}OCKETS}
10 One given to customer dancing over a little bargain in slump (8,3) SHOPPING BAG {S{HOPPING}{Ba...n}AG}
13 Assessment of learner’s performance in vehicle after crash — primarily disastrous (6,4) REPORT CARD {REPORT}{CAR}{Di...s} What's the role of 'crash'? See comments
15 Law-breaker’s burst of speed on precarious road (9) DESPERADO {SPEED*}{ROAD*}
18 Toe accidentally broken by macho guy making shield for troops (7) TESTUDO {TE{STUD}O*}

20 Passing time, grin and talk about playing tricks (7) LARKING {tALK+GRIN}*
23 Shoot leader of bandits leaving farm (5) RANCH bRANCH
24 Mauls jerk about to throttle woman (4) PAWS {S{W}AP<=}

Reference List
Associate = A, Love = O, Girl = G, Uranium = U, Many = L, Queen = QU, Model = T, Answer = A, Right = R, Republican = R, Man = M, Good = G, Time = T, Woman = W

GRID