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.
[10] 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.
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.
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.
[12] 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.
"[14] 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.
[16] 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.
[17] 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".
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.
[19] 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.
[20] 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.