A subtle gear change has helped Desert Man win the TAB Class 3 Plate in record time at Doomben.

Ridden by in-form apprentice Stephanie Thornton, Desert Man clocked a brilliant 59.21 seconds on Saturday, lowering the class record by 0.43 seconds, and was only 0.37 seconds outside the track record set by Magic Millions winner Houtzen.

Trainer Kelly Schweida decided to take the tongue-tie off the seven-year-old following a sparkling jump-out win at Eagle Farm last week.

"We jumped him out on Tuesday and took the tongue-tie off, first time ever, and it put five or six lengths on him," Schweida said.

"The way he went in that jump out I thought he'd run well today.

"Last start he had blinkers on for the first time and was very slow away so the plan today was to make sure he pinged out of the gates and the young lady rode him perfectly."

Thornton allowed Desert Man, who was backed from $19 into $11, to bowl along in front reeling off brilliant sectionals of 32.34 seconds for his final 600m, with 400m and 200m splits of 21.72 seconds and 11.17 seconds.

The gelding powered to the line 6-1/2 lengths clear of the $2.90 favourite Soxagon, with The Tenor ($8.50), a stablemate of the winner three quarters of a length away third.