Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group PLC
19 September 2005


Ashtead Group plc

19th September 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 13th September 2005 it was interested in a total of
27,697,600 (or 6.90%) of its shares comprising:
     
a)   an interest in 2,500,000 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 25,197,600 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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