beatty's nickname was "lucky" because of the success he had enjoyed at an early age in horse racing. he told friends that he had consulted a fortune teller, who told him he would win the epsom derby with a horse whose name had three "s" in it; four years later, beatty's bois roussel won the race. in 1936 beatty inherited reigate priory, the last private individual to own the property, and added stables to the grounds for his racehorses. he sold the property to the mutual property life and general insurance company in 1942. beatty was also involved in horse breeding; the noted racehorse my babu was bred by beatty.