The Department of Infrastructure will enter tram horses into races in the UK and bet on them to make the service profitable.

DOI Minister Ray Harmer’s understood to have carefully worked out “a system that can’t lose” during extensive research at Cheltenham and Aintree.

Island residents will be encouraged to bet against the Manx tram-pullers to lengthen the odds, while the department puts its pothole repair budget on them.

The department says the horses won’t be needed while it spends three years digging up Douglas promenade to annoy motorists.