Pls help - simple rule does not work!

[john2014]

hashcat version: 4.2.1
==============

1st I try this:

hashcat64.exe -m 2500 -a 0 crackme.hccapx  "C:\WORDLISTS\simple.txt"

(where "simple.txt" contains only the word "password123")

Result: hash is cracked


Now I:
1) edit the "simple.txt" file and change "password123" to "password"
2) put a simple rule "$1$2$3" in a file named "TEST.rule" and execute:


hashcat64.exe -m 2500 -a 0 crackme.hccapx  "C:\WORDLISTS\simple.txt" -r rules\TEST.rule 

Result: not cracked

If I force hashcat to display what candidate(s) it creates/uses with:

hashcat64.exe  "C:\WORDLISTS\simple.txt" -r rules\TEST.rule  --stdout

The console displays:

password123
123


 yet the hash somehow fails to crack!

Any ideas?