A: Are the results out? Who will be the next president of the students’ union?

B: Yes. Everyone thought it would be close, but Mary won the election hands down.

Note: This idiom means “to win (something) easily or decisively.” This expression was originally used in horse racing to describe jockeys who won their races very easily and could cross the winning line with their hands lowered and the reins loose. It began to be used in a figurative sense, to denote an easy win in other contexts, from the early 20th century. When you are comparing things, you can say that the thing which is clearly best wins hands down. For example: The New Winter Palace Hotel wins hands down for both comfort and location.