Kept going first, in date order (10)

I believe the answer is:

maintained

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'kept' is the definition.
('maintain' can be a synonym of 'keep')

'going first in date order' is the wordplay.
'going first' becomes 'main' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'order' indicates an anagram.
'in'+'date'='indate'
'indate' is an anagram of 'tained'.
'main'+'tained'='MAINTAINED'

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(Other definitions for maintained that I've seen before include "being kept going" , "Declared; supported" , "Insisted" , "Kept up (level)" , "Sustained" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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