Crouch claim and ground make Aeolus a big player says Walker

The combination of soft ground and Hector Crouch's claim will make Aeolus a leading contender for the William Hill Ayr Gold Cup, trainer Ed Walker believes.

The Group 3 winner, who contested the King's Stand Stakes two starts ago, was on Wednesday cut to 20-1 (from 25) by the race sponsor - with several firms going 16-1 from the same price - in advance of the five-year-old's first start in a handicap since the 2014 European Free Handicap.

Aeolus has recorded all four wins on good or good to soft ground and the going at Ayr on Wednesday was soft, good to soft in places, after 3mm of rain in the previous 24 hours.