Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

led, pushed along and headed before 2 out, ridden before last, but always held

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.
Pushed along	The jockey started to urge the horse (hand-riding, not necessarily using the whip).
Kept on	The horse maintained its speed well to the finish.

Summary

The jockey started urging the horse aggressively before the second-last obstacle to try and get it back into contention.
The jockey started to urge the horse (hand-riding, not necessarily using the whip).
The horse maintained its speed well to the finish.