Mitchell won the inaugural Malcolm Smith Memorial 300mm Handicap, cutting off a handicap of 25 seconds in the main event of the day.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the death of former competitor Smith, who was a great supporter of the Ross Rodeo, in a bush accident.

Symmons Plains axeman Mark Hillman finished second in the memorial, with backmarker and son-in- law of Smith, Winkleigh veteran and backmarker Dale Beams third.

The other main event on the program was also named after a stalwart of the Ross Rodeo, the Ian “Oscar” Lewis Memorial 250mm Standing Handicap, which was contested for the first time last year.

Middle-marker Gerald Oakley, of Dromedary, was the winner, cutting from the 13-second mark in the final, to defeat Deloraine’s Damien Rouse and Beams, with Mitchell Arnold narrowly missing the podium in fourth place.

However, the Arnold brothers dominated the 300mm underhand handicap, with Matthew (handicap 27 secs), holding out Mitchell (32 secs) and Rohan Lester (16) to claim the biggest chunk of the prizemoney.

Matthew also proved too good in the 275mm standing handicap final, winning from the 23-second mark from Oakley and Daniel Beams.

Damien Rouse and Blackwood Creek veteran Terry Hodgetts won the two-man combination handicap (275mm underhand and 250mm standing).