On Sunday, that fiery spirit came through as she fought to the line for a maiden group 1 victory at Menangle.

Seventh in Breeders Challenge finals as a two and three-year-old, Black Silhouette edged out favourite Goodtime Heaven by a half neck in career-best time to claim the $100,000 four-year-old mares decider.

"She's been very consistent, so she deserved a group 1," Dimarco said. "She'd won heats of big races and been a top little mare, and now this brings her prize money over that $150,000 mark. If you had a few like her, it would be pretty good.

"She's been a lovely little horse, but we deserve what we get out of her because she's a bugger around the stables.

"She's full of attitude. She kicks, bites and stomps. A typical mare, but the cranky ones are the better ones.

"She made it all worthwhile today. We were very proud of her."

Black Silhouette started well from gate seven but Goodtime Heaven came from wider to pinch the lead in a 26.2-second first quarter.

Art Series then challenged to keep a solid tempo up front, with 29.8 and 27.8 middle sections, as Black Silhouette sat on the pegs behind the top fancies.

The pace told on Art Series in the home straight, giving Black Silhouette the chance to get out and charge late at Goodtime Heaven and win in 1:51:0.

The effort was more than two seconds faster than Black Silhouette's best previous winning mile rate.

Dimarco had hoped that Black Silhouette would lead but star driver Todd McCarthy pulled the right rein by settling behind the front-runners.

"That's the good thing about Todd, he doesn't go out there with the one plan. He's always got a plan B," he said.

"So instead of cutting her up, he took the sit and it worked out nice.

"With that nice bit of cover, she was always going to run home strong.

"She went 1:51 neat and that's great for her, being a group 1 winner in that time, as a broodmare in the future.

"Todd said she went very quick when he pulled her out and the other horse tried to fight back, but she had her covered. But she doesn't like to win by too far when she comes from behind. She hit the line nice and she pulled up well, so it was a good night."

Dimarco won his first group 1 with another offspring of sire Shadow Play, Shadow Runner, in the Bathurst Gold Crown four years ago.

He said Black Silhouette would target mares races at Menangle in the short term before a run at the new group 1 for five-year-old mares at Wagga next year.

Earlier on Sunday, Louth Park reinsman Brad Elder and owner Michael Elder went close to a maiden group 1 win with Bright Energy in the four-year-old male series.

Now trained by Craig Cross at Cobbitty, Bright Energy led from gate three and Elder was able to control the tempo with 28.1 and 30.2-second first quarters.

Favourite Ignatius came around the field to sit outside Bright Energy and the pair turned the final into a match race.

Going for a hat-trick of Breeders Challenge crowns, Ignatius wore down Bright Energy to win by a head in 1:51:6, including a last quarter of 26.0 seconds.

Hunter drivers Jake Hughes and Jack Callaghan also featured on the program in the final two heats of the NSW Rising Stars series.

Hughes was second to Josh Gallagher in the pointscore, while Callaghan won the last heat with Thatswhatisaid.

Newcastle track record-holder Majordan won the feature Len Smith Mile in 1:49:6 with Todd McCarthy aboard.

On Friday night, Hughes claimed a Rising Stars heat at Newcastle with the Clayton Harmey-trained Tralee Rocks.

Gallagher claimed the other with Geoff Harding's Jasper Styles.

Meanwhile, Newcastle will host the first meeting under the new handicapping system on Monday.