Possible Clues:

• Lawyer has right to breakdown Cathy, causing friction, for the record
• (Of sound) rough, grating
• Sore, as a throat
• Dickensian clerk misses it in case of study done carelessly
• Irritable
• Itchy
• What an irritating sound to have on record!
• Itching, by the sound of it (8)
• Song's opening's memorable: 'King's caught in grating'
• In poor condition for record, withdraw from race? Yes