run to form

To behave or act in the expected manner or way. The election has run to form so far, full of little else but smear tactics and mudslinging. Susie's attendance has always been pretty erratic and, running to form, she didn't come to today's meeting.

Also, run true to form. Act as one expects, especially in keeping with previous behavior. For example, She ran to form, arriving an hour late, or The door-to-door campaign was running true to form, with solicitors always arriving at dinnertime . This term originally was used for race horses running as expected from their previous record; it was transferred to human behavior in the late 1800s.