Plenty has changed in racing since Stephen Pugh last saddled up a runner 20 years ago.

The first, he quickly learned, was that no jumpout is secret anymore.

But for the South Australian horseman, there's plenty that hasn't changed and he is hopeful that might be the secret ingredient in getting Group-performed Usain Bowler back to his best.

Pugh, a part owner in the horse when it was with John Sadler and Ciaron Maher, decided to take over training when connections were advised to retire the horse.

And on Saturday when Usain Bowler steps out in the McKechnie Concreting Handicap (1200m) at Murray Bridge, Pugh will have his first runner since July 26, 2001.

"When (part owner) Jack Love rang me and said the advice was to retire him, that there were too many problems, I thought about it and thought 'What are the problems'?" Pugh said.

"When I went through his list of problems, I thought, 'I can fix that'.

"Sadler, Maher and Eustace know more about racing than I'll ever know, but I'm old school with old knowledge. I thought I'd fix it up with old-school stuff.

"He had ulcers, a crack in his knee, crook knees, his back was crook. I went through problem by problem with some help with time. I left him on the farm for a while, had him in my stable for six months roaming and eating grass.

"We've taken the blankets off him, the chains off him and started again.

"And when I thought I had him good, his niggles sorted, we got him back and now she's all go. We are doing it my own sort of way and he has responded to it."

Pugh said time was one of the biggest keys in getting Usain Bowler back to the races. He was last seen on the Gold Coast in January last year.

However, he made a successful return at the jumpouts earlier this month, winning his 1000-metre heat.

"I snuck him up to Murray Bridge, I thought I was being smart, for a jumpout. But the way things are today, you can't hide anything," he said with a laugh.

Usain Bowler is owned by a lot of Pugh's mates and he said he is thrilled to train for them and continue the journey.

He is also thankful for the faith shown in him to train the horse.

"I'm loving it," Pugh said of returning to training.

"My plan is, if people want to race a horse and I get a phone call, then I am happy to have a go. I'm not going to start buying horses, syndicating horses."