Sid Halley

John Sidney "Sid" Halley
A photograph of Mike Gwilym as Sid Halley on the first edition cover of the second novel Whip Hand
First appearance	Odds Against
Last appearance	Refusal (written by Francis' son Felix)
Created by	Dick Francis
Portrayed by	Mike Gwilym
Information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Jockey, Private detective
Family	Jenny Roland (first wife, divorced) Charles Roland (ex father-in-law) Marina Van Der Meer (second wife) Saskia Halley (daughter by second marriage)
Nationality	British

Sid Halley (John Sidney Halley) is a fictional character in four Dick Francis novels, Odds Against, Whip Hand, Come to Grief, Under Orders and one follow-up book by Felix Francis, Refusal. He is a former British jump racing Champion Jockey and private detective. He is the only central character to appear in more than two Francis novels, and one of only two to appear more than once. (The other is Kit Fielding of Break In and Bolt.)

Halley was born out of wedlock. His mother's fiancé died at age 20 (though a newspaper report in Come to Grief says he was 19) only three days before the wedding in a fall from a ladder, whilst working overtime as a window cleaner. Eight months after his father's death Halley was born. Halley's mother, aged 19 at his birth, came from the Liverpool slums and later worked as a biscuit packer. Halley's boyhood home was Liverpool. His mother died when Halley was 15 of an obscure kidney ailment. Knowing she was dying, she pulled Halley from grammar school and apprenticed him to a Newmarket racing trainer, so that he would have a home and someone to turn to after her death.

Halley's elderly master taught him to train horses and encouraged him to invest the money that he earned. He also educated Sid in speech, manners, and the realities of life. Sid was a rising jockey by the time he completed his indentured service, and was reputed to have earned a small fortune on the stock market.

Halley became a successful jockey, rising to become champion jockey — a status he held for "five or six years". During his early career, before he achieved success, he married Jenny Roland, daughter of retired Rear Admiral Charles Roland. The marriage produced no children and was never a great success. While Halley was Champion Jockey his wife gave him an ultimatum: racing or her. Halley chose racing. The two separated while Halley was still racing and a divorce followed between the events of the first two books. Despite this Halley had become close to Charles Roland (after a very rocky start) and the friendship persisted.

Halley was injured in a racing accident: after a fall a horse stepped directly on his left hand. His hand was crippled, ending his racing career. Despite several operations the hand had little utility.

No longer able to race, Halley was hired as an operative by a well-known private security/investigative firm called Hunt Radnor Associates, and is working there as Odds Against opens. Still pitying himself over the loss of the profession he loved, and the loss of a wife he loved but couldn't get along with, he does not work very hard at being a detective, but a case involving unexplained accidents at a venerable racetrack awakens his interest, and, when he brings the case to a successful conclusion, he discovers he might be as good an investigator as he was a jockey. But at a cost.