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Trainer Mark Walker has decided to pull Elliot Ness back inside the short sprint bubble as the Polytrack 1100m record holder resumes this Saturday.

After that record-breaking feat in a Restricted Maiden race in April, the Written Tycoon four-year-old was tested twice in 1200m turf races, but he was nowhere near as devastating in his performances, finishing unplaced on both occasions.

While banking on a two-month break to help retune the Fortuna NZ Racing Stable-owned chestnut, it is the drop back to the Polytrack 1100m of Saturday's $50,000 Class 4 Division 1 that Walker believes is the key for the horse formerly named Prohibition and cleverly renamed after the untouchable crime fighter and Al Capone nemesis Eliot Ness (albeit with a slightly different spelling).

"I think Elliot Ness  is more of a Polytrack horse. More to the point, he's more of a 1000m-1100m speed sort of horse," he said.

"In other words, it's not really the surface, but the trip. He's just a pure sprinter."

That doesn't mean that pigeonhole is cast in concrete.

"He's just turned four, he's still a young lightly-raced horse who's had only five career starts," said Walker.

"As he gets fitter and stronger, there's no reason why he can't go back to 1200m, but for now it'll be pure speed races."

The three-time Singapore champion trainer said the freshen-up was a tried and tested method of his, especially for barely exposed horses.

"He was looking for a break. I normally give my young horses three to four runs at their first prep," he said.

"They need that extra break to acclimatise better. As a general rule, they improve into better horses after such breaks, they just seem keen to do better."

Experience is certainly not a commodity Walker's second runner is found wanting in. Exceed And Excel seven-year-old Cousteau is a veteran of 36 starts, one third of which filled the Te Akau Racing Stable's bank account with more than $225,000 thanks to five wins (all over 1000m) and seven placings.

Winning form is also good form for the last-start 1000m winner in a similar grade on August 15. The barrier gods have also been kind again; just like last time, he's drawn an alley again.

Regardless of these positives, Walker is worried about the rise in handicap where Cousteau cops a penalty of 5kgs from the 52kgs carried at his last win.

"Cousteau got a very good ride from Hakim (Kamaruddin) at his last win, but he's up in weights without any claim this time," said Walker.

"He's won five times over 1000m, and got Vlad (Duric) and barrier one, so that can only make him a definite chance, but with the six-kilo advantage between him and Elliot Ness (51kgs after Hakim's two-kilo claim), you'd lean more towards Elliot Ness (who has also drawn well in two).

"I think Teardrops will still be hard to beat, though. Last time, she only got beaten by Hamama."

Hamama and Qaidoom are Walker's two US-bred fillies who won at their Kranji debuts for the Al Rashid Stable, and who are having their second-up runs, both with their winning partner Hakim back up on Saturday.

A three-year-old filly by Frankel's full-brother Noble Mission, Qaidoom is arguably the luckier of the two given that the 48 points assigned after her first-up win in Open Maiden (1000m) on August 8 still qualifies her to Class 5 company. She runs in Race 2, a $30,000 Polytrack 1000m event with Walker using Hakim's claim to shave off two kilos from her hefty 59kgs impost.

A four-year-old by Shackleford, Hamama will contest the next 1000m race, but against tougher cattle in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 2 race.

A second dose is not a gimme for either, but they will definitely generate plenty of market interest.

"Both are fine. They've come back good after their debut wins," said Walker.

"On 48 points, Qaidoom was still eligible for Class 5. She has a bit of weight and has got a tricky draw (10). If she can overcome that draw, she'll be a genuine chance.

"Hamama is also a genuine chance in her race. She had to come from a wide barrier to lead the last time but she has drawn better (four) this time."

With a bumper team of 21 runners this Saturday, Walker will be his usual busy self as he aims to maintain the lead he has wrested from defending Singapore champion trainer Michael Clements last Sunday.

They both sit on 49 winners with Walker on top on a countback for seconds, albeit he sent out 477 runners to achieve that mark while Clements saddled only 283 runners.

The lopsidedness in numbers is again reflective of Clements' only three runners in the Class 2 race over 1200m (Sincerely, Safeer and Karisto) this Saturday.

Walker (who goes head-to-head with his own three-pronged attack made up of Augustano, Sacred Gift and I Am Sacred in that race) said he was just keeping in line with a creed that was drilled further into his head by a fellow Kranji-based Kiwi trainer, the legendary Laurie Laxon, who recently passed away in New Zealand.

"Laurie used to tell me that a horse sitting in a box is not going to win any prizemoney," said Walker as he remembered one of the nine-time Singapore champion trainer's many words of wisdom.

"If they're fit to race, they should race, and Laurie was so right about that."