Rain Shadow emerged as a likely spring carnival contender for trainer Mark Kavanagh when she stormed home in Saturday's Trevor Clarke Handicap at Flemington.A half-sister to former talented stayer Rain Gauge, Rain Shadow sat deep with cover for much of the race before rattling home in the middle of the track for an impressive win.Kavanagh said the three-year-old filly held an entry for the Group One Queensland Oaks on June 5 but was unlikely to take her place."She does look to have a nice future

Rain Shadow emerged as a likely spring carnival contender for trainer Mark Kavanagh when she stormed home in Saturday's Trevor Clarke Handicap at Flemington.

A half-sister to former talented stayer Rain Gauge, Rain Shadow sat deep with cover for much of the race before rattling home in the middle of the track for an impressive win.

Kavanagh said the three-year-old filly held an entry for the Group One Queensland Oaks on June 5 but was unlikely to take her place.

"She does look to have a nice future and she could well be up to stakes races later on - but the Oaks is coming up too soon for her," he said.

"There's plenty of races here for her in the meantime. We'll let her mature and see how we go."

Rain Shadow relished the spacious Flemington track and was doing her best work over the final 200m of the 1400m race.

When she reached the post Rain Shadow ($5) held a widening 1-3/4-length margin over Azwa ($9).

Third placegetter Pass The Parcel ($13) was a further three-quarters of a length back third.

The punter's elect Johanski ($3.40) failed to make any real impression in the straight and wound up in fifth place - nearly 3-1/2 lengths from the winner.

"The spacious track helped her today," Kavanagh said.

"She's a half-sister to Rain Gauge who ran in a Melbourne Cup.

"She seems to be finishing it off well and looks a nice staying type.

"She's a very big horse who's needed a lot of time to mature. She might turn into something later on."

Connections resisted the temptation to step the Bianconi filly up in distance after her recent first-up fifth over the same trip at Caulfield.

"I thought she would be better placed today against the fillies. I thought it was a better race for her when I looked at it," Kavanagh said.

Kavanagh won the corresponding race last year with former stable star and Group winner Cats Whisker.

"She (Rain Shadow) is a much different horse. She may get a longer trip," he said.

Stable rider Michael Rodd said Rain Shadow wasn't the easiest horse to ride - both in races and in trackwork.

"She's hard work all round," Rodd said.

"I take it in turns with a track rider to ride her work as she pulls our arms out.

"She jumped a lot better today. I tried to slot her in somewhere and we were out three deep, but with cover.

"She's very big and appreciates the room.

"I think she will be suited when she gets up over a bit further. I'd like to get her into a race with some pace.

"There's plenty of upside with her. She just has to learn to settle a little bit better."

Rain Gauge won six races including a Moonee Valley Gold Cup and earned $725,000 for his connections.

He was Group One-placed twice when third in the 2002 Australian Cup and BMW Stakes.