Chris Holder battled back from a horrendous start to finish third in the British Grand Prix at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium this evening.

The Pirates spearhead finished his qualifying rides with 10 points, but had just one after his first two rides.

But the Aussie fought back to notch three successive heat wins to book his spot in the semi-finals.

Holder was up against Nicki Pedersen, Magnus Zetterstrom and Kenneth Bjerre in the second semi-final.

And after Bjerre was excluded for a tapes offence, the 23-year-old Sydneysider took advantage to finish in front of Pedersen and Zetterstrom and storm into the final.

Emil Sayfutdinov was forced out wide by Holder in the final and smashed into the air fence, but it was the Russian who was excluded from the re-run.

Holder got away well second time out but Pedersen slammed the door shut to take second behind winner Greg Hancock.

Holder is now third in the world championship standings.

Full coverage in Monday’s Echo. Qualifying: Greg Hancock (2-3-1-3-3) 12, Kenneth Bjerre (1-3-2-3-2) 11, Chris Holder (0-1-3-3-3) 10, Emil Sayfutdinov (0-2-3-3-2) 10, Nicki Pedersen (3-2-3-2-0) 10, Andreas Jonsson (2-2-1-1-3) 9, Jason Crump (3-0-2-2-1) 8, , Magnus Zetterstrom (2-3-0-2-1) 8, Janusz Kolodziej (2-3-2-0-0) 7, Tomasz Gollob (3-0-1-1-2) 7, Chris Harris (1-0-3-1-1) 6, Jarek Hampel (1-1-0-0-3) 5, Scott Nicholls (0-2-0-2-1) 5, Freddie Lindgren (1-1-2-1-0) 5, Antonio Lindback (3-0-0-0-0) 3, Tai Woffinden (2) 2, Rune Holta (0-1-0-0-0) 1.

Ht 1: Crump, Zetterstrom, Harris, Nicholls (56.2).

Ht 2: Gollob, Hancock, Bjerre, Holta (56.0).

Ht 3: Pedersen, Kolodziej, Hampel, Sayfutdinov. (56.1) Ht 4: Lindback, Jonsson, Lindgren, Holder (56.7).

Ht 5: Kolodziej, Nicholls, Holta, Lindback (56.3).

Ht 6: Bjerre, Sayfutdinov, Holder, Harris (56.0).

Ht 7: Zetterstrom, Pedersen, Lindgren, Gollob (56.9).

Ht 8: Hancock, Jonsson, Hampel, Crump (56.6).

Ht 9: Pedersen, Bjerre, Jonsson, Nicholls (56.2).

Ht 10: (re-run) Harris, Lindgren, Holta (fell exc), Hampel (ret) (57.0) Ht 11: Holder, Kolodziej, Hancock, Zetterstrom (56.1).

Ht 12: Sayfutdinov, Crump, Gollob, Lindback (56.7).

Ht 13: Holder, Nicholls, Gollob, Hampel (55.6).

Ht 14: Hancock, Pedersen, Harris, Lindback (56.3).

Ht 15: Sayfutdinov, Zetterstrom, Jonsson, Holta (56.3).

Ht 16: Bjerre, Crump, Lindgren, Kolodziej (56.7).

Ht 17: (re-run) Hancock, Sayfutdinov, Nicholls, Lindgren (fell exc) (56.0).

Ht 18: Jonsson, Gollob, Harris, Kolodziej. (56.8).

Ht 19: Hampel, Bjerre, Zetterstrom, Lindback (56.0).

Ht 20: (re-run) Holder, Woffinden, Crump, Holta, Pedersen (exc tapes) (56,4).

Semi-final, Ht 21: Sayfutdinov, Hancock, Jonsson, Crump (55.6).

Semi-final, Ht 22: (re-run) Holder, Pedersen, Zetterstrom, Bjerre (exc, tapes) (55.3).

Final, Ht 23: (re-run) Hancock, Pedersen, Holder, Sayfutdinov (fell exc).