Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

held up, pushed along and 3 out, ridden and towards finish

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.
Held up	Intentionally raced patiently at the back to save energy.
Headway	The horse was moving up through the field.

Summary

The jockey started to urge the horse (hand-riding, not necessarily using the whip).
Continued to finish but without closing the gap significantly.
Intentionally raced patiently at the back to save energy.
The horse was moving up through the field.