Amanda Perrett took over the training licence at Coombelands in November 1996 with her husband Mark, when her father Guy retired from his illustrious career, having trained over 1600 winners including 30 Group 1 winners and the great Dancing Brave.

Starting with thirty horses in training, Amanda and Mark have built up a team of 90 horses and have now trained over 300 winners and 17 Group winners, including winners in France, Ireland and Italy and runners as far a field as America, Hong Kong and Dubai.

There is a great sense of inclusion at Coombelands with many of the main owners and staff being there right from the start. Both Amanda and Mark have impressive resumes for training and were schooled in the art of training by one of the most successful trainers of the 20th Century, her father Guy Harwood.

Mark, son of the jockey Phil and grandson of trainer Major Champneys, has worked with Guy at Coombelands since he was seventeen years old, riding work on all the well know Harwood Group winners. He was a successful National Hunt Jockey having ridden over 900 winners, including seven Cheltenham Festival successes and both the Scottish and Welsh Nationals. Latterly he rode successfully on the flat, showing his versatility by winning the Ascot Stakes at Royal Ascot on Balasani, a horses he had also won the Stayers Hurdle on at the Cheltenham Festival.

Amanda rode successfully as an amateur rider, winning 90 races under rules, on the flat, over hurdles and fences as well as point to points. She was the first lady to ride in the Champion Hurdle at The 1990 Cheltenham Festival. She also was a successful three day event rider, winning the junior section of Ireland’s Punchestown Three Day Event and represented her country in Italy that year.

Their race riding experience gave them both invaluable experience of the racecourses in Europe and what is required to win at the highest level.