1997: two-year-old season Diktat made his only appearance as a two-year-old in a
maiden race over seven
furlongs on
good to firm ground at
Leicester Racecourse on 9 September 1997. Ridden by
Willie Ryan he started at odds of
9/1 in an eighteen-runner field. After appearing to have every chance of winning three furlongs out he began to struggle and was eased down by Ryan and finished seventh, six and three quarter
lengths behind the winner Mudeer.
1998: three-year-old season On his three-year-old debut, Diktat started 6/4 favourite against sixteen opponents in a seven-furlong maiden at
Newmarket Racecourse on 14 April. Ridden by
Darryll Holland he took the lead inside the final furlong and drew away to win by four lengths from the
John Gosden-trained Mubrik. In May he started 5/4 favourite for a minor races over the same distance at Leicester and won "comfortably" by one and a half lengths from Rami. On 17 June the colt was stepped up in class for the
Group Three Jersey Stakes at
Royal Ascot in which he was gain partnered by Holland. He was made the 3/1 favourite in a sixteen-runner field with his main rivals appearing to be Bold Fact (
July Stakes), Bianconi (fourth in the
Irish 2,000 Guineas), Volontiers (
Surrey Stakes) and the
Michael Stoute-trained filly Lovers Knot. After being restrained in the early stages he took the lead approaching the final furlong and ran on well to win by two lengths from Bold Edge. Diktat was matched against older horses for the first time in the
Beeswing Stakes at
Newcastle Racecourse on 25 July in which he was ridden by Jimmy Fortune and started 4/11 favourite against three opponents headed by Decorated Hero, a six-year-old who had already won three Group races. The closing stages saw the race develop into a prolonged struggle between Diktat and Decorated Hero, with the older horse prevailing by a head. Diktat did not race again in 1998. He was transferred to his owner's
Godolphin stable and was trained for the rest of his racing career by
Saeed bin Suroor.
1999: four-year-old season After an absence of well over nine months, Diktat returned in the inaugural
Shergar Cup at
Goodwood Racecourse on 8 May when he represented the "Rest of the World" team and was ridden, as in all his races that year, by
Frankie Dettori. In the seven-furlong leg of the contest, he was made the 11/10 favourite ahead of Russian Revival (
Dubai Duty Free Cup), Ramooz (
Minstrel Stakes), Tomba (
Prix de la Forêt) and Keos (
Prix de Seine-et-Oise). The favourite was held up by Dettori and had some difficulty obtaining a clear run but then accelerated in "impressive" style to take the lead in the final strides and in by half a length from Russian Revival. On 26 June the colt started odds-on favourite for the Group Three
Van Geest Criterion Stakes at Newmarket despite carrying top weight of 133 pounds. After tracking the leader Cool Edge he took the lead a furlong out and won by one and a half lengths from the
Solario Stakes winner Raise A Grand. Godolphin's racing manager
Simon Crisford commented That was very pleasing... He wasn't risked on it as a three-year-old, but he's stronger and more mature now. He will be perfect coming off a strong pace and we hope that he will be a genuine Group One contender." Diktat was then moved up to Group One level for the first time when he was sent to France for the
Prix Maurice de Gheest over 1300 metres on very soft ground at
Deauville Racecourse on 8 August. In France, horses in the same ownership are coupled for betting purposes and Diktat started the 4/5 favourite together with Sheikh Mohammed's other runner Bertolini, the winner of the July Stakes and
European Free Handicap. Keos and Tomba were again in opposition, as well as Gold Away (
Prix du Muguet), Bianconi (
Diadem Stakes),
Orpen (
Prix Morny) and Sampower Star (
Duke of York Stakes). Diktat was restrained by Dettori before beginning to make progress on the outside 400 metres from the finish. He took the lead 200 metres out and won by a length from Gold Away, with Bertolini half a length back in third place. After the race Saeed bin Suroor said "He's got a very good turn of foot. Diktat had never run on this sort of ground before, so we can now assume he acts on all surfaces. I was very happy with him before the race and the colt is improving all the time. This looked the perfect distance for him". Diktat returned to England and started 13/8 favourite for the
Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup on good to firm ground at
Haydock Park on 4 September. The sixteen-runner field included Bertolini, Bold Edge, Sampower Star and Tomba, as well as
Wannabe Grand, Arkadian Hero (
Mill Reef Stakes),
Imperial Beauty (
Dick Poole Stakes), Grazia (
Hackwood Stakes), Halmahera (
Cornwallis Stakes) and
Pipalong (
Two-Year-Old Trophy). Bertolini set the pace with Diktat racing towards the rear of the field in the early stages. The favourite appeared to be under pressure but was switched to the left inside the final furlong and caught Bertolini in the closing strides to win by a neck. After the race Dettori commented "It was really a question of not losing too much ground early on so I could have a shot at the finish, but I must admit I was worried at the furlong marker when I was still three lengths behind Bertolini". On his final start of the year Diktat was sent to France again and started odds-on favourite for the Prix de la Forêt over 1400 metres at
Longchamp Racecourse on 17 October. After turning into the straight in tenth place he made steady progress but finished fifth in a blanket finish behind Field of Hope. It was Diktat's first defeat in over fourteen months.
2000: five-year-old season In the spring of 2000 Diktat was sent to represent Godolphin in Japan. On 14 May he finished sixth to
Stinger in the
Keio Hai Spring Cup at
Tokyo Racecourse with
Grass Wonder in ninth. On 4 June he was ridden by Daragh O'Donohoe when he contested the
Yasuda Kinen over 1600 metres at the same track. He produced what was arguably his best performance as he proved too good for the sixteen Japanese runners but was beaten a length into second place by the Hong Kong champion
Fairy King Prawn. Diktat returned to Europe but did not reappear on the track until 3 September when he started the 1.9/1 second favourite (coupled with Fly to the Stars) for the
Prix du Moulin over 1600 metres at Longchamp. He stayed on in the closing stages without looking likely to win and finished third behind the four-year-olds
Indian Lodge and Kingsalsa. The favoured
Dansili finished sixth. On his final racecourse appearance Diktat started a 20/1 outsider for the
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on 23 September and finished sixth of the twelve runners behind
Observatory. ==Stud record==