Evening standard cryptic 10 june 2010

[fortis70]

7a)classic racer slowed down by greed for apples ???????a
3d) shameful spectacles at lords or the oval(4) ???r
2d) a natural runner thats clear(5)
13d) where to make a quick point(7) ??es?an

[sandyRoe]

7a Atalanta
2d River

[fortis70]

if two down is river and i think you are right then 7a) becomes ??i????a

[factor-fiction]

could 2d be WATER?

[fortis70]

you are right it could be water and that would make atalanta correct but i can't imagine why where do the apples comes in? atalanta was a greek athlete if i remember my school greek correctly

[Prudie]

Was she the one that stopped to pick up golden apples in a race or am I dreaming?

[JMR27]

Atalanta lost a race because she stopped to pick up golden apples.

[factor-fiction]

Extract from summary of one of the tales of Atalanta:
"Melanion asked the goddess Aphrodite for help and she gave him three golden apples to toss as Atalanta caught up, in order to slow her down. Melanion tossed the apples every time Atalanta came near him and in this way came to marry Atalanta. "

[fortis70]

aha you are quite right, i had forgotten all about the apples, it was a long long time ago when i was at school and to be honest i don't remember a lot about atalanta we did more plutarchus solon and aristophanes

[fortis70]

thank you all very much for taking me back to my youth!!

[fortis70]

now 3d) becomes ?a?r

[factor-fiction]

pair- pair of specs, two ducks is a pair in cricket

[fortis70]

i bow to your superior knowledge but pray is that shameful?

[sandyRoe]

If you were out for a duck on two consecutive occasions you wouldn't be proud of the fact.

[umaisthebest]

what about this one from firday 18th?

when not in the first flush, after lunchtime is wisest (4,4,4).