Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

ducked start, towards rear, pushed along before , , never threatened

Matched phrases & meanings

Phrase	Meaning
Pushed along	The jockey started to urge the horse (hand-riding, not necessarily using the whip).
Towards rear	Running near the back of the field.
Plugged on	Kept going without showing much pace.
halfway	The horse was patiently ridden up to the middle point

Summary

The jockey started to urge the horse (hand-riding, not necessarily using the whip).
Running near the back of the field.
Kept going without showing much pace.
The horse was patiently ridden up to the middle point