Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group PLC
24 March 2005



Ashtead Group plc

24th March 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 22nd March 2005 it was interested in a total of
28,912,600 (or 8.88%) 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 21,013,900 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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