The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word OBSTACLE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
O
B
S
T
A
C
L
E
More clues leading to the result OBSTACLE
- Boat's at sea — sailor abandoning cable — something to be overcome
- Barrier damaged best coal
- Close tab after upsetting bar
- Let alumni say nothing about head of Latin
- Old boy's story about constant handicap
- Ace bolts, galloping – one of several in a race maybe
- Nameless constable demolished barrier
- Stole cab involved in a sort of race
- Old boys reportedly get to grips with a problem
- Backing for musical dividing much of joint is an impediment
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "a sort of race" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case a sort of race = obstacle.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does OBSTACLE mean?
OBSTACLE noun- Something that impedes, stands in the way of, or holds up progress