The Hatchet made a very smart start to his career, as he finished second in a big-field Tattersalls maiden that was run in a particularly quick time, coming in 15 seconds quicker than the average on the card. He was never too far off that strong pace, pressing on with the pace-setter along the bottom of the track, and it is to his credit, that he kept him honest all the way up the home straight. Ultimately only beaten two lengths by a horse that had the benefit of a previous run, having caught the eye in doing so. The Hatchet also had two well-bred individuals immediately behind him, with the third and fourth place horses having been purchased for a combined sum of €125,000 at the store sales. All told, plenty of confidence can be taken from this very promising debut.