a dark horse

1. (British & Australian humorous) a person who does not tell other people about their ideas or skills and who surprises people by doing something that they do not expect I didn't know Linda had written a novel. She's a bit of a dark horse, isn't she?

2. a person who wins a race or competition although no one expected them to (sometimes + for ) 17-year-old Karen Pickering could also be a dark horse for (= she could win) a medal in the European Championships. (American)