THE ongoing fuel crisis is already having an impact on the racing and bloodstock sector.

According to data from the Automobile Association Ireland, diesel prices have jumped 30% from €1.69 per litre in January to at least €2.18 today (as high as €2.40 on some forecourts) due to military actions and distribution problems in the Middle East.

The problems were exacerbated this week by protests by farmers, agricultural contractors and the haulage industry which involved blocking main roads around the country and blocking access to fuel depots in Cork, Limerick and Galway.

Many service stations ran out of fuel, especially in the south and west, while long queues were reported at stations countrywide as consumers began to worry about supply.

A number of horses due to run at Wexford yesterday were withdrawn due to “transport difficulties”.

Co Cork trainer Gerry Kelleher, who withdrew his intended runner, said: “There’s four or five garages near me in Macroom and none of them have diesel. Wexford is a near 300-mile round trip and we can’t go. We’ve lost the entry fee and a day’s work because of it.

“I don’t even know if I can attend Dromahane point-to-point this weekend as I’ll have to save the car for essential journeys. These shortages and price increases are going to affect everyone very quickly.”

Stuart Crawford, who trains in Larne, which is 219 miles from Wexford, also withdrew his runner due to anticipated delays en route. He said: “The horsebox left here for Wexford but I told them to come back when I heard there were roadblocks at Dundalk, Dublin Airport and the M50. I’m not saying it would have been impossible to get to Wexford but you would have to take a very cross-country route.

“I know a number of trainers who returned from Aintree on Thursday night were held up coming off the boat too.”

Crawford is hoping the protests will ease over the weekend, allowing him to send runners to Tattersalls point-to-point on Sunday.

He says diesel is currently easy to buy in Northern Ireland and costs about £2 per litre.

An IHRB spokesperson said: “We informed trainers by text on Thursday night about earlier opening times of the stabling facilities at Wexford and Dundalk on Friday night, so that they would know they could access the racecourse if they arrived early. We’re just doing that on a day-to-day basis as we monitor the situation.”

Patrick Keane of Ballinroe Transport said his fleet has not yet been affected as the company has 20,000 litres of diesel at its own depot. Ballinroe will be taking Irish horses to the breeze-up sales in Newmarket next week as usual.

“The expenses are crippling but our clients have no choice – these horses have to go to the sales,” he said. “We have to try and keep things running. There’s a new charge being applied at Dublin Port now, on top of everything else.”