Old poet to run at back of house (6)
I believe the answer is:
horace
'old poet' is the definition.
'run at back of house' is the wordplay.
'run' becomes 'race' (synonyms).
'at back of' says to put letters next to each other.
'house' becomes 'ho' (abbreviation for house).
'race' put after 'ho' is 'HORACE'.
'to' is the link.
(Other definitions for horace that I've seen before include "Roman poet and satirist" , "Roman lyric poet, d.8BC -- a chore (anag)" , "Latin ode writer" , "Boy's name - Roman poet" , "- Walpole, eighteenth century English author" .)