CHRIS Holder believed his boyhood dream of riding at the Millennium Stadium had gone after his horror smash at Torun earlier this month.

Pirates’ star was struck at high speed by Greg Hancock’s footrest after falling in the Grand Prix of Poland.

The Aussie ace immediately feared he had broken his arm, but it turned out he only sustained muscle damage and heavy bruising.

Holder’s father Mick said: “Chris definitely thought he was 100 per cent out of the British GP.

“While in hospital waiting for X-rays, he was thinking ‘I’ve really messed it up this time’.

“That was on his mind. He thought the rest of the season was over, but luckily it’s turned out okay.

“There will be 40,000-plus at Cardiff. It’ll be huge. Chris has been there for three years to watch but he’s going to be stoked to be actually riding this time.

“Riding in that atmosphere is going to be huge, so when he hurt his arm he thought his childhood dream of racing in the Millennium Stadium was over.”

Mick is over from Australia for a month with wife Karen and their younger son Jack.

They’ll be at Wimborne Road tonight supporting Chris in Elite League action for Pirates against Coventry (7.30pm).

Talking from Sweden yesterday, Mick said: “Chris scored paid seven on his comeback for Torun on Sunday after having five laps of practice at Somerset on Friday.

“You don’t really think about your arm when you’re racing, but he didn’t have any problems with it during races or after.

“For a few days afterwards it was pretty bad, but he’s had a lot of physio.

“He still has an area that’s really sore if touched, but it doesn’t affect his racing because you’re not bending the arms or flexing the muscles.

“It won’t hinder him in any way against Coventry as long as Sweden goes okay tonight.”

Bees arrive at Poole with only three riders from the team crushed 63-29 at Wimborne Road in April.

They’ve brought in Krzysztof Kasprzak, Lewis Bridger, Przemyslaw Pawlicki and Josh Auty.

Pirates use rider replacement for injured Artur Mroczka.

Jay Herne could be in the running to fill the Buccaneers spot vacated by Chris Mills, who has joined Premier League outfit King’s Lynn.

Pirates: Holder, Ward, Pedersen, R/r for Mroczka, Watt, Madsen, Doyle.

Coventry: Harris, Barker, Kennett, Bridger, Kasprzak, Auty, Pawlicki.