one-horse race

Definitions

1. A horse race in which a single horse takes such a considerable lead that the other horses are no longer contenders to win.
   informal
2. An election campaign or other competitive situation in which only one competitor is entered or in which only one competitor has a realistic chance of winning.
   broadly, idiomatic

Examples

“Since riding Harry Payne Whitney's Whiskery to victory in the Kentucky Derby, Jockey Linus ("Pony") McAtee has twice broken into the news in unconventional fashion. A fortnight ago, he won a one-horse race⟳ ("walkover") at Belmont Park⟳, N. Y.”

“Sinister Minister . . . kept extending his lead⟳ and turned the stretch⟳ run⟳ into a one-horse race⟳.”

“Although Mr Balladur is far ahead in the opinion polls, the spring⟳ election is far from being a one-horse race⟳.”

“A system for creating software that runs, unaltered, on all sorts of computers and devices . . . could transform⟳ the software business in the network era from a one-horse race⟳ led by Microsoft to a true contest.”

“The dominance of the men in yellow over the past decade turned international cricket into a one-horse race⟳.”

CEFR level