Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

held up towards rear, pushed along off pace 2f out, late headway final 100 yards,

Matched phrases & meanings

Phrase	Meaning
late headway final	The final effort was too little, too late to impact the main result.
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.
Never nearer	The horse's closest point to the leader was the position it finished in (ran on late).
Held up	Intentionally raced patiently at the back to save energy.

Summary

The final effort was too little, too late to impact the main result.
The jockey started to urge the horse (hand-riding, not necessarily using the whip).
Running near the back of the field.
The horse's closest point to the leader was the position it finished in (ran on late).
Intentionally raced patiently at the back to save energy.