Crossword Genius

Place to free smelly mammal (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

polecat

'smelly mammal' is the definition.

'place to free' is the wordplay.
'free' is an anagram indicator.
'place'+'to'='placeto'
'placeto' is an anagram of 'POLECAT'.

(Other definitions for polecat that I've seen before include "weaselly type" , "Smelly animal" , "Beast of weasel family" , "Kind of weasel, called skunk in America" , "Weasel-like creature" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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