Walkover

A walkover is an easy or unopposed victory and dates in this figurative sense from c. 1830. Before this, during the 18th century, the original, literal meaning derives from horseracing in the UK where the Jockey Club, the governing body, ruled that if only one horse turns up as a contestant in a race, the horse must complete the distance of the race. Horses would then usually walk or canter over the course, thereby winning by a walkover. Since 2006, the Jockey Club was superseded by the Horse Racing Authority, which now stipulates that a singleton horse turning up for a race does not have to complete the whole course. It only needs to be ridden past the judge’s box to register a walkover.