Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

held up towards rear, took fla hold, before 3 out, ridden before last, 3rd and held flat

Matched phrases & meanings

Phrase	Meaning
ridden before	The jockey started urging the horse aggressively before the second-last obstacle to try and get it back into contention.
Towards rear	Running near the back of the field.
Held up	Intentionally raced patiently at the back to save energy.
Headway	The horse was moving up through the field.
Keen	The horse was fighting the jockey, wasting energy early.

Summary

The jockey started urging the horse aggressively before the second-last obstacle to try and get it back into contention.
Running near the back of the field.
Intentionally raced patiently at the back to save energy.
The horse was moving up through the field.
The horse was fighting the jockey, wasting energy early.