Racehorses were trained in Whitford, and in the 1890s the Nathan family equestrian track held large-scale racing events, which people from Auckland attended by ferry.
ɹˈeɪshɔːɹsᵻz wɜː tɹˈeɪnd ɪn wˈɪtfɚd, ænd ɪnðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti z ðə nˈeɪθən fˈæmɪli ɛkwˈɛstɹiən tɹˈæk hˈɛld lˈɑːɹdʒskˈeɪl ɹˈeɪsɪŋ ᵻvˈɛnts, wˌɪtʃ pˈiːpəl fɹʌm ˈɔːklənd ɐtˈɛndᵻd baɪ fˈɛɹi.