CAPTAIN Chris Holder believes the hype surrounding Pirates’ Turbo Twins is playing into Poole’s hands – because it eases pressure on other riders.

The defending champions have been labelled ‘top heavy’ with big guns Holder and Darcy Ward taking top billing for the Elite League kings.

Swindon visit Wimborne Road tonight (8pm) just weeks after Robins boss Alun Rossiter claimed Pirates looked “a bit vulnerable at the bottom end”. Rossiter also said he thought Poole Coastal Aluminium were “not invincible.”

Since then, Holder and Ward have led Pirates to an unbeaten start and both registered paid maximums in the impressive victory at title contenders Lakeside on Friday night.

Holder and Ward have received most of the attention but Poole’s skipper thinks that can benefit the likes of Adrian Miedzinski and Dennis Andersson in Pirates’ lower order.

Grand Prix star Holder told the Daily Echo: “I think it probably works in our favour. There is no pressure on them and people write us off before we even race. There is no pressure on them to get a lot of points but, when they do, we tear teams apart.

“They are all good boys. In all the meetings we have won, it has not just been because of me and Darcy. The rest of the boys have also done their jobs. All the boys are chipping in, it is not just the two of us.

“People worry about us having two high-average riders in the team and worry that we are not going to be strong enough, but we have already proven that we are. The boys are only going to get better.”

Holder added: “We probably are a little top heavy but as long as me and Darcy get a lot of points every meeting and the rest of the boys get six or seven points each, we are going to win. I don’t think it is too much of a problem for us.

“Maybe, there is a little bit of pressure on me and Darcy to always perform but we knew before the start of the year that if we were both going to be at Poole, we would both have to be banging in big points every week. So far, it has been good and we have managed to get a lot of points.

“But if you look at the Wolverhampton meeting, we had nine points each and still managed to take the win.”

Swindon arrive in Dorset with an unbeaten league record of their own, with ex-Poole man Jason Doyle among the Robins ranks.

Pirates: Holder, Masters, Ward, Andersson, Miedzinski, Kling, Kurtz.

Robins: Andersen, Morris, Stead, Doyle, Batchelor, Aspegren, Kildemand.