Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

led briefly early, settled 2f out, on outer, pushed along 2f out, final

Matched phrases & meanings

Phrase	Meaning
Pushed along	The jockey started to urge the horse (hand-riding, not necessarily using the whip).
Led briefly	Took the lead momentarily before being overtaken.
Stayed on	Continued to finish but without closing the gap significantly.
One pace	The horse maintained its speed but could not accelerate or quicken.
Close up	Running very near the leaders (usually 2nd, 3rd, or 4th).
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).
Took the lead momentarily before being overtaken.
Continued to finish but without closing the gap significantly.
The horse maintained its speed but could not accelerate or quicken.
Running very near the leaders (usually 2nd, 3rd, or 4th).
Unit of distance; one furlong is 1/8 of a mile (approx. 200 meters).