A second place is a plus (5)

I believe the answer is:

asset

'is a plus' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)

'a second place' is the wordplay.
'second' becomes 's' (common abbreviation).
'place' becomes 'set' (synonyms).
'a'+'s'+'set'='ASSET'

(Other definitions for asset that I've seen before include "Valued item" , "Valuable person" , "A possession of some value" , "Useful item" , "Valuable item" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.

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