Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group PLC
05 August 2005



Ashtead Group plc

5th August 2005


                               ASHTEAD GROUP PLC

                             Ordinary Shares of 10p


Ashtead Group plc announces it has  been advised by The Goldman Sachs Group
Inc., ('GS Inc') that as at 3rd August 2005 it was interested in a total of
36,063,715 (or 9.0%) of its shares comprising:
     
a)   an interest in 12,198,481 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 23,865,234 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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