Crossword Genius

Bolted after the horse - it's too late (6,4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

stable door

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'bolted after' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'the horse it's too late' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found within the answer.
'late' could be 'd' and 'd' is located in the answer.
'it' could be 'sa' (old-fashioned abbreviation for sex appeal) and 'sa' is found within the remaining letters.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Another definition for stable door that I've seen is " It's often locked after the horse has bolted".)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.