Arthur Wardle, R.I. (1864-1949)

This beautifully rendered painting depicts Messrs S.M. and J.E. Dennis's greyhounds, Dendraspis, Distingue and Dilwyn. Commissioned by Colonel J. Dennis in 1914 to celebrate their racing successes, it is evident from their musculature, gleaming coats and alert expressions that they were supreme physical specimens with an impeccable pedigree, leaving us in no doubt of their supremacy on the racetrack.

Dendraspis was whelped in 1905, out of Gleneva by Wartnaby, and won the Waterloo Cup in 1909. His son Distingue, whelped in 1910 out of Forest Fairy, narrowly lost out to Dilwyn in the semi-final of the 1914 Waterloo Cup, despite being the favourite. Dilwyn, whelped in 1911, out of Denwa, whose own dame was Gleneva, by Bachelors Avenue, went on to win the 1914 Waterloo Cup.