Only four sleeps to Santa Claus as millions of kids around the world are waiting patiently.
For die hard Road Trotting fans they have a little longer to wait, only an extra night, for the start of the 2017 Winter Road Racing season in West Cork.
Drimoleague on St Stephens Day has hosted racing for over 130 years.
Only twice in those 130 years has racing been cancelled .Firstly in the 1950s when the dreaded Foot and Mouth Disease was present in Ireland and again in the early part of this century when a foot of frozen slow covered West Cork.
Fast forward to this Monday and the tarmac on the Eastern side of this village will play host to beating hoofs and the smell of sulphur lifting off the famous half mile stretch of road from the village heading East to the old Creamery.
Many purists believe this road is the Holy Grail of road trotting.
Looking at the road from ground level it can be very deceiving.
From the outside turning point the horses race down a slight incline but approximately 200 metres from the finish there is a lung bursting rise to the finish.
26 horses will race in six races with Memorial Cups for each event remembering locals from the village who have left us.
RHYDS PONDER the reigning road racing champion returns from the Summer break to try and emulate last seasons unbeaten run .He will face stable companion MOUNTAIN DEW LAD and MAITHI BUACHILL in the Grade A pace.
In the grade B event newcomers SPRINGHILL JAZZ and DEMOCRAT will lock horns with URI GELLER an imported trotter from Sweden and the consistent RHYDS ARTIST.
In the Grade C another trotter TACTICIAN DU LYS takes on pacing rivals MEADOWBRANCH KIKI and another debutant CAMDEN CORLEONE.
The Grade D looks between IB RAPIDO and HILLSIDE DARTANIAN while in the grade E race SAUNDERS PARIS ,GADGIE PAN and BIG JIM should be the principals in an open looking contest.
The Novice Grade sees IB TWEEDY going to post as favourite for "The One For The Road Syndicate" who as their name suggests will celebrate if successful.
The action gets under way at 2 PM.
By Tim Kelleher, for Harnesslink