Mark Kavanagh is giving promising staying filly Rain Shadow a light winter program with a view to bigger spring prizes.A slow maturing three-year-old, the half-sister to former top Kenvain stayer Rain Gauge stands a massive 17.2 hands and is favoured to win her fourth race in only seven starts at Moonee Valley on Saturday.Last start Rain Shadow raced wide and, with plenty of galloping room, was able to unwind a powerful finish down the centre of the track to score running away by nearly two leng

Mark Kavanagh is giving promising staying filly Rain Shadow a light winter program with a view to bigger spring prizes.

A slow maturing three-year-old, the half-sister to former top Kenvain stayer Rain Gauge stands a massive 17.2 hands and is favoured to win her fourth race in only seven starts at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Last start Rain Shadow raced wide and, with plenty of galloping room, was able to unwind a powerful finish down the centre of the track to score running away by nearly two lengths at Flemington on May 15.

The daughter of Bianconi scored her other wins last spring at Seymour and Moonee Valley.

She was entered for next week's Queensland Oaks but Kavanagh's racing manager Merv Harvey said the feature had come up too soon.

"She was nominated for the Oaks in Queensland but time will beat her," Harvey said.

Rain Shadow still had to furnish into her huge frame but her performances were already superior to those of Rain Gauge who was not much bigger than 15 hands and took 20 starts to win his first three races, he said.

Rain Gauge trained on to win and run second in two Moonee Valley Cups and notably posted Group One thirds in the 2002 Australian Cup and 2002 The BMW.

He was trained by George Hanlon when he finished sixth to Ethereal in the 2001 Melbourne Cup and eighth to Media Puzzle in the 2002 Cup.

Rain Shadow's racing pattern is to drop back and sustain a strong finish, but Harvey has flagged the possibility of her racing nearer the lead in Saturday's Programmed Property Services Handicap (1600m)

"It looks a winnable race again for her and I wouldn't be surprised if she is racing a bit closer this time," Harvey said.

"She won well the other day at Flemington and she has improved."

Harvey said Moonee Valley suited her but jockey Steven King had a tricky job to get her galloping room from barrier one.

"She takes a while to get fully wound up and get into stride being such a big filly," Harvey said.

He said Rain Shadow was stakes class but wouldn't be rushed.

"We will give her a couple more runs and see what happens," Harvey said.

TAB Sportsbet has her as $2.60 favourite on Saturday just ahead of the Robert Smerdon-trained Beyond Pardon ($3) who has run gallant seconds at his last two starts.