Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

handy, pushed along over 2f out, soon slightly hampered,

Matched phrases & meanings

Phrase	Meaning
Pushed along	The jockey started to urge the horse (hand-riding, not necessarily using the whip).
Stayed on	Continued to finish but without closing the gap significantly.
One pace	The horse maintained its speed but could not accelerate or quicken.
Handy	Running very near the leaders (usually 2nd, 3rd, or 4th).

Summary

The jockey started to urge the horse (hand-riding, not necessarily using the whip).
Continued to finish but without closing the gap significantly.
The horse maintained its speed but could not accelerate or quicken.
Running very near the leaders (usually 2nd, 3rd, or 4th).