Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

held up towards rear, pushed along and 3f out, final

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.
Outpaced	Could not keep up with faster horses mid-race.
Held up	Intentionally raced patiently at the back to save energy.
Furlong	Unit of distance; one furlong is 1/8 of a mile (approx. 200 meters).

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.
Could not keep up with faster horses mid-race.
Intentionally raced patiently at the back to save energy.
Unit of distance; one furlong is 1/8 of a mile (approx. 200 meters).