CHRIS Holder insisted his bumper haul at the Slovenian Grand Prix had meant more than a podium place as he focuses his attention on the top prize.

The Poole Pirates talisman took third in the opening round of the series in Krsko but sits second after racking up 14 points.

Two heat victories in the qualifiers was followed by a chequered flag ahead of world champion Tai Woffinden, Greg Hancock and Antonio Lindback in the semi-final.

And while he was beaten by Peter Kildemand and Jason Doyle in the final, Holder was content with how the numbers looked.

Holder told the Daily Echo: “You can scrape into the semi-finals without scoring well, win the final and still walk away with fewer points than your rivals.

“The most important thing is the points because they get you in with the boys at the front. The podium and the rest of it, that’s a bonus.

“If I had won, I would have felt pretty stoked but second or third doesn’t mean so much, it is all about the points.

“We had a good night. I felt pretty good and we didn’t have too many issues. That’s the best start I’ve had for a while.

“I think we had one race that was a bit average. Going into the final, I felt like I could have won it but I didn’t quite get the start and that was pretty much it.”

Prior to the season, Holder revealed he had put in extra work to improve his chances of GP success and said his flying start had boosted his belief that he could reclaim the crown he won in 2012.

“Going into it, there is always a grey area. You’re never sure how it will pan out so to get a good first round under your belt makes you feel positive,” he added.

“It feels like the hard work and preparation over the winter is paying off but it is only one round so I can’t get carried away.”

Holder continued his busy Bank Holiday weekend by riding for Torun in Poland last night before jetting back for Poole’s trip to Wolverhampton tonight (7.30).

The Wolves have made a flying start to 2016, winning at Coventry and Swindon before thrashing Lakeside at home but Holder reckons Pirates can ruin that 100 per cent record.

“They have only had one meeting at home so maybe that could be an advantage. Then again, they have been picking up points on the road which is a good sign for any team,” he said.

“But we have a good team and should be winning at most places. We go to every track knowing we can win, not just to keep it close.”

Kyle Newman returns from a groin injury to complete a full Pirates septet. Brady Kurtz rides at reserve with Adam Ellis stepping up to the main body of the team on the back of the latest averages.

Wolves: (from) Joonas Kylmakorpi, Mikkel Bech Jensen, Freddie Lindgren, Jacob Thorssell, Sam Masters, Kyle Howarth, Max Clegg. Team manager: Peter Adams.

Pirates: (from) Hans Andersen, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Chris Holder, Adam Ellis, Bjarne Pedersen, Kyle Newman, Brady Kurtz. Team manager: Neil Middleditch.