Race Comment Explainer

Original comment with matches highlighted:

slowly away, behind, stayed on inside final , never nearer

Matched phrases & meanings

Phrase	Meaning
Never nearer	The horse's closest point to the leader was the position it finished in (ran on late).
Stayed on	Continued to finish but without closing the gap significantly.
Furlong	Unit of distance; one furlong is 1/8 of a mile (approx. 200 meters).

Summary

The horse's closest point to the leader was the position it finished in (ran on late).
Continued to finish but without closing the gap significantly.
Unit of distance; one furlong is 1/8 of a mile (approx. 200 meters).