Sam King returns with two selections on Monday…

With no flat racing this week, heads turn to the National Hunt sphere with Kempton and Ludlow taking centre stage.

The racingtv.com Handicap Chase looks like an interesting contest at Kempton (3.15) this afternoon and I wouldn't be surprised to see Doddiethegreat running off higher marks than his current 131 throughout the season.

Nicky Henderson's chasing debutant appeared to lose his way a little over hurdles at the end of last season, but it was well-documented that the stable was struggling for form throughout the Cheltenham Festival, and he probably wasn't still right when sent off the 7/4 favourite for a competitive handicap at Ayr in April.

Henderson kept it no secret that he felt this horse was well-handicapped off a mark of 132 heading into the Coral Cup. The form of his eye-catching fourth-place finish behind the likes of stablemate Iberico Lord, who was being mooted as a potential Champion Hurdle horse at the time, and impressive subsequent Grade 2 winner L'Eau du Sud in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury last season certainly reads well.

He's been crying out for this sort of trip over fences ever since finishing fourth in the Betfair Hurdle and with absolutely no worry about the stable form this time around (Henderson 9-26, 35% last 14 days), this unexposed eight-year-old is selected to make a splash on his first chasing start.

WIN – Doddiethegreat

Odds – 9/4

We go to Ludlow for our second selection, and it could pay to stick with the improving chaser Touchwoodexpress in the RacingTV Club Day Novices' Handicap Chase (1.15).

The Nigel Twiston-Davies team have started the season in good form and there could be more to come from their son of Mahler, who has taken to the switch to chasing well, backing up his debut success over fences with a good second behind a well-treated horse at Warwick.

It is unsurprising to see all the early market support go the way of Venetia Williams' Jo Lescribaa after the weekend she had, but he'll certainly need to improve for the move to chasing given the form he showed over hurdles last season.

The booking of Mr Toby McCain-Mitchell, who has created a big impression riding over fences in recent months, helps negate the 5lb rise Touchwoodexpress picked up for finishing second at Warwick and he now looks decent value to regain the winning thread.

WIN – Touchwoodexpress

Odds – 10/3