SHEFFIELD boss Simon Stead is backing Jack Holder to become a Grand Prix rider of the future.

Holder, snapped up by the Owlerton side following their promotion to the Premiership, has been enjoying some fine scores in Polish League racing.

And Stead is keeping everything crossed the club will be able to go with the same team, or as close as possible, next season.

“Because he joined us, I’ve been keeping a close eye on Jack’s performances and he’s riding very well,” said Stead.

“I firmly believe he has a bright future in the sport and I think he can become a Grand Prix rider.

“It adds to our frustration in many ways because we are looking at a rider we should have been seeing regularly around Owlerton on a Thursday night. I hope that can stay in place and it can happen next year.

“The build-up to this season was bigger than for many years and we were ready to go before we were all sent into lockdown.”

Meanwhile it seems increasingly unlikely that there will be any racing at Owlerton this season despite the prospect of crowds returning for the reopening of greyhound racing to the public in October.

Club bosses have been looking at the possibility of staging some racing but the cost and logistics involved for a small number, perhaps a one-off, is likely to rule that out.