Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group PLC
24 February 2005


Ashtead Group plc

24th 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 21st February 2005 it was interested in a total of
26,784,267 (or 8.2%) of its shares comprising:

a)      an interest in 7,898,700 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 18,885,567 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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