Apollo's Countrywide bid 'almost certain' to succeed says Countrywide chairman.

(From AFX Europe (Focus))

LONDON (AFX) - The takeover of UK's biggest estate agency chain Countrywide PLC by US private equity firm Apollo Management will "almost certainly" succeed despite an expected counter bid from the 3i Group this week, according to Countrywide chairman Christopher Sporborg.

"At the moment the Apollo offer is the only offer we have and it is one which we feel we can recommend and quite a lot of shareholders are supporting it and we think it will almost certainly succeed," Sporborg told AFX News in a telephone interview this afternoon.

Reports in the Sunday press said the 590 pence a share offer, to be formally announced to the …