The race to buy the operating company of the Four Seasons Health Care chain, which operates 440 care homes and a chain of psychiatric hospitals, is thought to be down to about three bidders, including 3i Group and HgCapital, the private equity firms. 3i is rumoured to be in pole position to buy Four Seasons because it has a long-standing relationship with the company’s management team. Four Season’s management team, led by Tony Heywood, chief executive, decamped from Westminster Health Care, a rival operator formerly owned by 3i, a year ago.