Former Fremantle Dockers captain Peter Bell might have put his coaching ambitions on hold but there’s no stopping his rapid rise in racing.

An AFL premiership player in 1996, Bell collected his latest trophy at Ascot on Saturday when outstanding filly Night War powered home to claim the G3 Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic (1400m).

The winners continued on Sunday when Bell’s promising galloper Taqwaa (Diantribe) bolted in by four lengths at Pinjarra.

It’s been a marvellous year for Bell and his racing partner Ray Meadowcroft.  Their filly Single Spice (Not A Single Doubt) won the LR Supremacy Stakes in February and Night War (General Nediym) claimed the G2 Karrakatta Plate in March.

Trainer Simon Miller was confident Night War would be hard to beat in the Lee-Steere Classic.  “It’s great when a long-term plan pays off,” Miller explained.  “She got 54kg under the set-weights conditions and I thought 1400m would be ideal.”

Miller decided to dodge the Burgess Queen because Night War would have been lumped with 58kg and he side-stepped the WA Guineas because 1600m was outside her winning range.

Night War (3f General Nediym – Samar by Secret Savings) was a $90,000 buy from Baramul Stud at the 2010 Gold Coast Magic Millions.  Her dam is a Sydney winning half-sister to G1 stayer County Tyrone (QTC Queensland Derby, AJC Metropolitan & Sydney Cup).  

She will be freshened up for the Summer Scorcher (1000m) at Ascot on December 31.

Bell captained Fremantle from 2002 to 2006 and was linked to a coaching role with the Dockers in 2012.  “Getting involved in footy next year was a bit of a long-shot,” Bell revealed.  “It’s a full-time job and I want to focuses on family and my racing and business interests for the next 12 months.”

Bell, 35, won a Grand Final with North Melbourne in 1996 and was a two-time All Australian.  He was also President of the AFL Players Association from 2003 until 2007 before retiring in July 2008.