Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group PLC
04 February 2005


Ashtead Group plc

4th February 2005

                               ASHTEAD GROUP PLC

                             Ordinary Shares of 10p

Ashtead Group plc announces it has today been advised by The Goldman Sachs Group
Inc., ('GS Inc') that as at 2nd February 2005 it was interested in a total of
21,792,606 (or 6.69%) of its shares comprising:

a) an interest in 7,899,700 shares arising from the interest held by
Goldman Sachs & Co., a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of GS Inc, acting as
custodian. These shares are, or will be, registered in the name of Goldman Sachs
Securities (Nominees) Limited;

b) an interest in 13,892,906 shares arising from a beneficial interest held
by Goldman Sachs International, a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of GS Inc.
These shares are, or will be registered at CREST in account CREPTEMP.



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